EXCLUSIVE | Shreyas Iyer: ‘Have a lot of confidence in myself… koi bhi situation mei bhejo, karke aaunga’ | Cricket News

Photo Source: @ShreyasIyer15 on X

TimesofIndia.com in Dubai:

The 2025 Champions Honor winners Honor around his neck and the iconic white blazer on, Shreyas Iyer broke into an impromptu jig when the rest of his teammates assembled for a group picture. Sukhbir’s popular song ‘Oh ho ho’ was too Solid to resist for the right-hander and he ensured not to miss a beat with his sublime footwork. It wasn’t his usual Afrobeat number but on hearing “mera waala gaana” on the loudspeaker, the dancing skills Secured over and soon became a buzz on social media.
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The grooving continued in post-Game interviews and the 30-year-Ancient celebrated what was a very successful campaign where he ended as India’s leading Series-getter with 243 runs in five innings. These were Solid-fought runs which Arrived in tricky situations and allowed India to control the middle overs – the passage of Move which was very crucial on the sluggish surfaces in Dubai. One knock at a time, not only did he remind of his class in the Arrangement but also put doubts, if there were still any, to rest.
Over the past year, there were lows of missing a central contract and losing spot in the Test side but Shreyas Secured it on the chin and responded with an Indian Premier Division (IPL) title for Kolkata Knight Riders and a very consistent Series in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, across formats. Hours after the biggest high of his Profession, yet, India’s No.4 opened up on the CT campaign, confidence he has in his game, unfinished business in whites and more.

Edited excerpts:
Last one year has been a roller-coaster for you. Lots of things happened. Central contract, so much noise but you responded with one title at a time. IPL Honor, domestic success… how satisfying was it when you collected the Champions Honor white blazer?
Extremely satisfying. To be honest it has been a journey and I have learnt a lot in this phase of my life where I got out of the contract after Competing the 2023 ODI World Cup. I reassessed where I went wrong, what I should be doing, how well I need to Concentration on my fitness. I asked myself all these questions and prepared a routine and Began focussing on my Practice and also the skills I added side by side. Once I got continuous matches in domestic cricket, I figured out how Significant fitness was for me especially when I raised my concerns at the start of the year. Overall I am extremely Ecstatic with myself… the way I Arrived out of this, the way I handled the situation and most importantly I believed in myself.
Did frustration ever creep in during this period?
Frustration toh nahi tha because I was Competing IPL. The major Concentration was to Achieve the IPL and thankfully I won it. I personally felt I didn’t get the recognition I wanted to after Victorious the IPL but at the end of the day, as long as you have self integrity and you keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that is more Significant and that is what I kept doing.

Your KKR teammates have publicly appreciated your captaincy and the decisions during Stress situations. How much have you evolved as a Skipper after leading in the IPL, then Mumbai in the domestic competitions? You were in the leadership discussions for the Indian Club too.
I would say I am more of an instinctive person. I see the situation, read the situation and based on that I call my shots. I believe a lot on my gut calls. Whatever the Primary thought comes in my mind, I take that and back it. Most Significant is you back your teammates, you back your calls and every individual who is part of the Club on the given day. It’s Significant you back them in Stress situations and make sure that you believe in their abilities. Once all these patterns are set up for you, everything else follows.
Your back troubled you for a long time and it wasn’t something which was fixed after a quick rehab. It flared up when you played the longest Arrangement. What changes did you have to make in terms of routine, physical exercises and how confident are you with your body after undergoing what you did?
I am extremely Ecstatic with my Practice routine. There is this guy Sagar who has been working with me on my Practice and he creates schedules for me based on my activities on the Ground. He helped me a lot in terms of changing my body, the Practice and understanding what I was going through. He worked with me during the IPL as well. Lot of credit goes to him also. From there on I was convinced to follow whatever he says in terms of my fitness and it worked well.

You spoke about not getting that recognition after the IPL title but India Skipper Rohit Sharma was very vocal in his praise for you. He termed you the “silent hero” of the Champions Honor campaign. It wasn’t typical Shreyas contributions because you are known for those Large hands right from your Timely days but you mentioned during one of the chats after the Last that even if the Large runs didn’t come you were Ecstatic to contribute in Victorious causes throughout the Competition.
When I talk about recognition, it’s about getting that respect. It was about the respect for whatever efforts I put on the Ground. I think sometimes it gets unnoticed but extremely satisfied with the efforts I put in because they weren’t Basic wickets to bat on. It wasn’t Basic to take singles especially when the bowlers were bowling so Snug. I just had the belief in myself that once I get two sixes here or there, I can change the momentum towards our side. Luckily I got them at crucial times.
It’s a tough Position to be the No. 4 in ODIs and be the link between the top and lower-order. There are some superstars in the Club but you quietly come and do the Position more often than not. How do you prepare for that difficult Position?
I don’t come quietly (laughs). I come with my Crowded heart and there is something else going on in my mind. I have a lot of confidence in myself to do the Position. Koi bhi situation mai bhejo, karke aauga. This Approach works for me and this confidence comes after facing rejections and failures. They are the best teachers. You also get to know during tough times, only you can lift yourself. No one else.

How difficult were the tough times?
Whenever I am in that low phase of life, very few people message me. And they are Pravin Amre sir, Abhishek Nayar, Sagar and there are few other people who supported me a lot during that time and I will always keep them with me. They are normal when everything is fine but even nicer when I am undergoing that low period. I appreciate that Gentle of mentality and you will definitely grow if you have such people around you.
Did the Champions Honor Achieve feel sweeter because you played a very crucial role in Victorious the Competition for the side. Leading Series-getter, getting them in difficult situations.
Nothing is sweeter than Victorious the Honor. Your individual Points and all is secondary and Significant is that the Club wins. People are Ecstatic in India. So many people Help us from the ground and everywhere and Victorious the game for them feels very Great.

Do you feel there is unfinished business in the white jersey? Leadership ambitions?
Obviously there is… I want to Move as much as I can. I have done well in the domestic tournaments but let’s see what happens. I don’t want to think too much about it because the more I think, more mind will be taxed. It will basically get Exhausted. I live in the moment, maze karta hu [I enjoy] and think about the Game when it comes. I don’t think too much about [the] future or past. It has helped me a lot.