Vaibhav Tripathi in Nagpur
Making a comeback is never easy. Returning from injury presents its own challenges, but it becomes even more difficult when you have been in good form yet find yourself sidelined due to circumstances beyond your control. In such situations, a player must clear his mind, put the past behind him, and focus on delivering a strong performance.
Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood were in the middle of an outstanding opening spell, putting India on the back foot at 19-2. With back-to-back wickets – both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed early – and with Virat Kohli not playing, all eyes turned to the returning Shreyas Iyer.
As Iyer walked out to bat, a fan in the stands shouted, “Ye short ball pe out ho jayega (He’ll get out to the short ball)!” Given his well-documented struggles against short-pitched deliveries across formats, the concern wasn’t unfounded.
Iyer wasted no time settling in. His first boundary came on just his third delivery, a well-timed flick off Saqib Mahmood. The real challenge awaited him in the next over when he faced Archer. Sensing an opportunity, Jos Buttler immediately positioned a forward short leg. Archer, unsurprisingly, began testing Iyer with short-pitched deliveries, drawing a couple of cautious defensive strokes.
Then came the breakthrough moment. Off the fifth ball, a short-of-good-length delivery at 144.8 kph outside off, Iyer unleashed a powerful pull shot that soared over the deep mid-wicket fence. Archer responded with a sharp bouncer at 143.4 kph, well outside off, but Iyer showed great awareness, using the pace to his advantage and elegantly ramping it over the third-man region.
That was the shot that ignited his innings. The fan who had confidently predicted Iyer’s downfall against the short ball was left speechless—much like many others—as the Indian batter silenced his critics with both style and swagger.
At the other end stood Shubman Gill, India’s vice-captain, but it was Iyer, the senior player, who shouldered the responsibility of steering the innings forward. With India reeling from a shaky start, he took charge, launching an aggressive counterattack. His stroke play was a spectacle—ferocious pull shots, crisp drives through cover and point, and well-placed square cuts dismantled the pacers. Against the spinners, he used reverse sweeps and delicate lap shots to keep them unsettled.
His entertaining knock lasted just 36 balls, but not before he had taken India to the brink of victory. His 59-run blitz, studded with nine boundaries and two sixes, not only thrilled the fans but also reaffirmed his ability to step up when the team needed him most.
Iyer’s dismissal left India in a commanding position at 113-3. From there, Gill and Axar Patel ensured a smooth finish, guiding the team to a comfortable victory. While Gill played the anchor role and finished as India’s top scorer, it was Iyer’s explosive innings that brought the thrill of T20 cricket to an ODI contest and entertained the fans.
This knock will undoubtedly boost Iyer’s confidence as the series progresses. A player who thrives on self-belief, he has a knack for silencing his critics when it matters most—just as he did under the lights in Nagpur.
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