India Won't Find A Better Player Than Him: Mohammad Kaif Backs Youngster To End India's Search For No. 4 Batsman

Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has said Team India will not get a better player for the number four spot than Shreyas Iyer. Kaif also said that Shreyas Iyer’s hunger to score runs makes him an asset for the Indian cricket team. The former India international, who was the assistant coach of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, opined that the Mumbai batsman is now bored of playing domestic cricket and wants to play for the national team.

India have been searching for a reliable No. 4 batsman for quite some time now. In the last few years, the team-management has tried out the likes of Ambati Rayudu, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant without much success. The team has now put the onus on Shreyas Iyer to deliver at that crucial spot and so far, he has done well.

“I am a huge fan of Shreyas Iyer. Firstly, he has come out of domestic cricket, having played many years there. He has not got an opportunity too quickly for India. He has played IPL for a number of years, scored many runs, then only his name came. His name has come at the right time because he is hungry. He is bored of playing domestic cricket and wants to play for India,” Kaif spoke of Iyer to Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel.

“He is mentally very sorted, has a great understanding of his game and his role. He doesn’t get angry easily and thinks a lot before speaking. He has gained a lot from captaining in the IPL because you learn to take responsibility. Since he has become captain, he has become a better player. India will not get a better player than Shreyas Iyer at No.4,” Kaif said.

Having made his international debut way back in 2017, he got very limited chances in his first two years in international cricket. However, he has become a regular member of the team after last year’s World Cup.

In his comeback series which was in West Indies, he scored fifties and shared century-plus stands with skipper Virat Kohli in two ODIs. The Mumbai star further enhanced his reputation by slamming an impressive 62 against Bangladesh at home in the Nagpur T20I.

In the subsequent home ODI series against West Indies, he scored two more fifties while batting at number four. Earlier this year, he scored his first ODI century during the tour of New Zealand.

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