MUMBAI: Ahead of the upcoming eight-match white-ball series (five T20Is and three ODIs) against England and the 2025 Champions Trophy, Shreyas Iyer has once again reminded the national selectors of his blistering form, which has led to a consistent run across formats in domestic cricket.
Rescuing his team from a precarious position after they collapsed to 82 for five in the 16th over, the Mumbai captain struck a stunning century (137 not out, 133 balls, 16 fours, 4 sixes) to secure Mumbai’s emphatic 163-run victory over Puducherry in their penultimate league match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.
Since being dropped from India’s T20 and Test squads, Iyer has been in scintillating form in domestic cricket. This was the 30-year-old’s 14th century in List A cricket and his second of Mumbai’s VHT campaign, having started the tournament with an unbeaten 114 against Karnataka in a losing cause. Overall, he has amassed 312 runs in just 225 balls (strike rate 138.66) across four matches.
The 2024 IPL-winning captain’s other contributions include an unbeaten 44 against Hyderabad and 17 versus Punjab. Earlier, while leading Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, Iyer scored 345 runs in nine matches at an average of 49.28, with one century and a fifty, his highest score being an unbeaten 130. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, Iyer has also impressed with 452 runs in four matches at an average of 90.40, including two centuries.
Suryakumar Yadav in poor form:
In a cause for concern, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has hit a rough patch. SKY registered his second consecutive duck, a first-ball dismissal, following a five-ball duck against Punjab in his previous match. Overall, he has managed just 38 runs in four matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Karun Nair posts 542 runs in five games, sets world record:
Vidarbha batter Karun Nair has achieved a remarkable feat, scoring 542 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before being dismissed for the first time in five matches, setting a world record in List A cricket.
Prior to Friday, New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin held the record with 527 runs without being dismissed in 2010. Nair surpassed this record with a 112-run knock, his fourth century in five matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, guiding Vidarbha to an eight-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh in Vizianagaram, reports Sandeep Dabhekar.
Since being appointed captain of Vidarbha’s one-day team this season, Nair has been in exceptional form. His consistent performances with the bat have ensured Vidarbha’s unbeaten run across all five matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Nair’s record-breaking spree began with an unbeaten 112 against Jammu & Kashmir on 23rd December. This was followed by a 44-run contribution in Vidarbha’s chase of 80 against Chhattisgarh. From there, Nair scored three consecutive centuries—against Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh—to etch his name in the record books.
