Snubbed Shreyas Iyer Seeks Solace, Says 'Bat Is Always Going To Be In My Hand'

In last year's ODI World Cup, Iyer finished third among highest run-scorers for the hosts, scoring 530 runs at 66.25 with two centuries and three fifties.

Iyer was not included in the BCCI's central contract's list for period October 2023 to September 2024 for a perceived belief that he, along with wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, had prioritised IPL over domestic cricket.

While Kishan had given a complete miss to domestic cricket in the first half of the year and began playing competitive cricket just before the IPL, Iyer had featured in a few Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai.

Having missed the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal, Iyer featured in the semifinal as well as the final, a game in which the right-hander smacked a rapid 95 against Vidarbha.

"I had a tremendous World Cup and I wanted to take a break after that, work on my body (and) build some strength around certain areas," Iyer said in a video released on his YouTube page on Friday.

"Due to lack of communication, there were some decisions that didn't go in my favour. But at the end of the day, the bat is always going to be in my hand and it's on me how to perform and win trophies.

"I decided that once I win Ranji Trophy and IPL, that would be an apt answer for whatever happened in the past and thankfully, everything fell to the right place," added Iyer, who captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title win this year.

Having undergone a back surgery in April 2023, Iyer said pushing himself hard in the nets sessions at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru also helped him find confidence.

"After the surgery, I was at NCA, practising in the nets. I have never batted for so long in my life. I used to always restrict myself from batting in the nets because I complained that the wickets weren't that great," he said.

"Suddenly, I just told myself that 'put yourself in tough situations because the war is won outside the field, not on the field'," he said.

"When you play with your mind, when you challenge your mind to put yourself in tough situations and you decide for yourself whether you're going to win or not," Iyer added.