Shreyas Iyer provides a crucial update on his availability for KKR's IPL 2024 opener vs SRH

Outcast India batter Shreyas Iyer claimed that he is in his best possible shape heading into Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening game of IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The ongoing edition, which began last night in Tamil Nadu with a clash between CSK and RCB, will just be the 2nd season of Iyer captaining the 2-time champions.

He had to miss the entirety of the 2023 season due to a back injury and also to keep himself fresh for India’s Asia Cup and Cricket World Cup commitments. Shreyas Iyer has experienced a turbulent past few months both on and off the field. It all started with India’s all-format tour of South Africa in December-January.

While he had a decent performance in the only ODI match he played against South Africa, scoring 52, his form severely dipped from the middle-order during the red-ball series. The Indians, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, were hoping to claim their first-ever red-ball series win in South Africa but they eventually returned with a 1-1 draw. Shreyas Iyer did not make any significant contribution across the 2 Tests as he had scores of 31, 6, 0, and 4*.

Shreyas Iyer says he doesn’t want to dwell on the past

Then Shreyas Iyer had a very good opportunity to make amends in the home 5-match Test series against England but he had to drop entirely, following his poor performance in the first 2 Tests. Iyer then had mediocre scores of 35, 13, 27, and 29 in the 4 innings of the Test matches played in Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam.

As a result, he was overlooked by the team management for the remaining 3 Tests and then a few days later, Iyer was also snubbed from a central contract by the BCCI. It was done so because of his unwillingness to play in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai but a few days after that contract snub, Iyer scored 7 in the Ranji SF against Tamil Nadu.

And then as Mumbai sealed a spot in the final against Vidarbha, Shreyas Iyer had scores of 7 and 95 in his team’s 42nd First-class title win. Now he is gearing up for the IPL 2024 season and in a press conference recently, Iyer claimed that he is not looking backward anymore.

“If you dwell too much either on past or future, I personally feel that you make a lot of mistakes. So, that’s what I’ve learned over a period of time, that whatever is in your hand, you have to make the best use of it.” – Iyer told reporters in Eden Gardens.

Iyer updates on his Physical progress

Shreyas Iyer then shed light on his physical progress from the recurring back injury which has been troubling him for a while now. He claimed that he is high on confidence and that he feels like he is in the best possible shape and he also stated that his preparation has been highly qualitative.

“Right now, if I look at myself, I feel that I’m in the best shape possible. I played so many years in the IPL, so it’s not that I am completely distant from it. Personally, my preparation has been top-notch.” – Iyer concluded.