IND vs PAK: 'Shreyas Iyer Is As Important As...'- Ravichandran Ashwin's Blunt Verdict On Indian Batter

Hailing Shreyas Iyer as one of the best players of spin bowling in the Indian team, ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed the batsman to do well at No. 4.

Team India have struggled to find a reliable No.4 batsman since the retirement of the legendary Yuvraj Singh. Replacing a player of Yuvraj’s stature is definitely not easy and Indian cricket’s struggle has made it very clear. In the last few years, the Indian team management has tried out several players for the crucial spot but without much success.

After experimenting with a host of players, the Indian team pinned its hopes on Shreyas Iyer and the right-handed batsman has done a good job so far. In 20 innings as a No.4 batsman, Shreyas Iyer has scored 805 runs with an impressive average of 47.35 and a strike rate of 94.37. He has hit 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries at that position.

Shreyas Iyer is likely to bat at the same position in the upcoming Asia Cup. However, several experts and fans have expressed their apprehensions over the same as the batsman is returning to action after a long injury layoff. Many believe that he should not be the main option for the No.4 spot in the World Cup due to the lack of game time.

Ravichandran Ashwin on Shreyas Iyer:

As Shreyas Iyer continues to trigger debate in the Indian cricket fraternity, Ravichandran Ashwin has said that there should be no debate on the No.4 position if the batsman is fit to play. The Test spin spearhead said that Shreyas Iyer is as important to the Indian team as KL Rahul and pointed out his success at No.4.

“Shreyas Iyer is as important as KL Rahul to this side. One of the best players in the Indian line-up against spin and a consistent No.4 for India. He has played a crucial part in their success whenever he has played at 4. If he is completely fit to play, there should be no debate on No.4 position,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel while talking about India’s Asia Cup squad.

Shreyas Iyer will be making his much-awaited comeback to competitive cricket in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. He has not played a competitive match since suffering a back injury during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia in March.