Courtesy: BCCI/Google
Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian cricketer, hailed Shreyas Iyer for adding strength and character to India’s batting lineup throughout the tournament. After praising the right-handed batter for his performances in Dubai over the past couple of weeks or so, Ravichandran Ashwin also remarked that his play has helped Virat Kohli get the best out of him in the twilight stage of his career.
Notably, Virat Kohli is the highest run-scorer for India in the ongoing Champions Trophy with 217 runs in four innings at an average of 72.33 and a strike-rate of 83.14 with one hundred and a fifty. Shreyas Iyer, who bats at number four for India, one slot behind Virat Kohli, has accumulated 195 runs in four innings at an average of 48.75 and a strike-rate of 79.91 with two fifties, giving the senior statesman the company he needed in the middle overs, to help India score above par totals on a consistent basis.
This guy has had an excellent 2023 World Cup: Ravichandran Ashwin on Shreyas Iyer
During the recent video on his YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat”, Ravichandran Ashwin categorically said about the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, “For me, the game-changer will be Shreyas Iyer. It is because of his recent form.” The 38-year-old also alluded to a recent post-match interview of Shreyas Iyer with Robin Uthappa, where the Indian cricketer spoke about working on his breathing technique to stay composed in any situation.”
“This guy has had an excellent 2023 World Cup. He has batted well against New Zealand. He has played well at the Wankhede in Mumbai. And once again, in this tournament, he has looked crackerjack,” said Ashwin about Iyer. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer also applauded Shreyas Iyer for improving on his short-ball game, converting an issue into his biggest strength over time.
Ultimately, Ravichandran Ashwin went on to state that “the way he (Shreyas Iyer) plays, it helps Virat Kohli,” since both these batters have been involved in few critical partnerships for India in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
