KKR vs SRH: Sunil Gavaskar Believes Performances Of Nitish Rana And Rinku Singh Will Allow Shreyas Iyer To Bat Freely

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes Kolkata Knight Riders leader Shreyas Iyer could now play freely because middle-order hitters Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh have begun to contribute in IPL 2022.

Before Saturday’s encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MCA Stadium in Pune, the two-time champions have seen Nitish, Rinku, and Venkatesh Iyer score key runs in recent matches, which Gavaskar believes would encourage Shreyas to resume his free-flowing batting style.

“Shreyas Iyer is a quality player for KKR, as he has been for whatever franchise for which he has played. It’s encouraging to see Shreyas not shouldering all of the batting responsibilities.

“Nitish Rana’s and Rinku Singh’s recent exploits will give him the confidence to bat freely and hit those huge shots early in the innings,” Gavaskar stated on Star Sports’ Cricket Live show.

‘Shreyas Iyer doesn’t play leg spinners well’: Mohammed Kaif

Shreyas’ struggles against leg-spinners have concerned Kaif, who believes it is an area where the right-handed batter, who is considered an excellent spin bowler, has to improve.

“However, Shreyas has one flaw. He struggles with leg spinners and is frequently fooled by the leggies’ turn and flight. It’s unusual to see an Indian hitter struggle with leg-spin consistently. Leg-spinners have also dismissed him several times this season.”

“Everyone has plagued him, whether it’s Ravi Bishnoi, Rahul Chahar, or Kuldeep Yadav, and he never really wants to see their overs through. Instead, he keeps playing those offensive shots and is thrown out.

“In this department, I believe there is a lot of room for improvement. However, there are other characteristics about Shreyas that distinguish him as a unique batter.”

Iyer has faced leg-spinners six times in IPL 2022, scoring 36 runs off 36 balls with a strike rate of 103.

On the 14th of May, the Kolkata Knight Riders will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

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