Despite Shreyas Iyer’s struggles in 2024, KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar claimed that the Mumbai batter’s tendency to complain is not ingrained in him.
Assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Abhishek Nayar, showered admiration on captain Shreyas Iyer, praising the right-handed batter’s mental resilience in the face of adversity.
Shreyas’ back ailment kept him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) past season. After undergoing surgery, he participated in the Asia Cup 2023. Though his back continued to bother him, he was only able to participate partially in the campaign. The Mumbai hitter persevered despite the discomfort and had an outstanding 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, amassing 530 runs at an average of 66.25 from 11 matches.
But so far, 2024 has proven to be a downer for Shreyas. After finishing the first two Test matches against England with scores of 31, 6, 0 and 4, he was removed from the squad. Later, because of his suspected “skipping” of Ranji Trophy matches, he was excluded from the BCCI Central Contracts list.
The most recent setback for Shreyas was that he was left out of India’s selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Nayar claimed that despite the unfortunate turn of events, the 29-year-old has managed to maintain an optimistic outlook and is committed to doing well in order to regain recognition.
In terms of how he has handled the things that have happened to him, he is among the mentally strongest persons I have ever met. He hasn’t complained or whined about it at all, but I would have seen a lot of people chatting and sulking over it. The way he has treated life is in a positive way—you try to accept what is in front of you,” Nayar stated at the team’s pre-game press conference on Friday, May 3, in advance of their upcoming game against the Mumbai Indians.
“He can control his fitness, even though there are some things beyond his control. He feels much better now.” As an idea.
In the first nine IPL 2024 matches, Shreyas has amassed 251 runs at a strike rate of 137.16 and an average of 41.83. The former two-time winners are currently ranked No. 2 in the points standings thanks to his superb leadership of KKR. With a victory on Friday, the Knights will trail the table-topping Rajasthan Royals by just two points at 14 points.