ICC World Cup 2023: ‘He doesn’t have many followers’, Gautam Gambhir’s ‘under-appreciated’ remark on Shreyas Iyer

Iyer smashed a whopping 105 runs in just 70 runs, hitting four boundaries and eight sixes with a strike rate of 150. His young batter’s century came in just 67 deliveries.

During a broadcasting stint on Star Sports, Gambhir said the batter’s innings wasn’t applauded.

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“I said it on-air, and I want to repeat it. He was the gamechanger against New Zealand. I guess he doesn’t have many followers on social media, that’s why he didn’t get as much praise. He’s playing his first World Cup. You expect Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to perform in big games because they have experience. Kohli is playing his fourth World Cup, Rohit has played 3. Shreyas is playing his first,” Hindustan Times quoted Gambhir as saying ahead of the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia.

“It is unfortunate that he isn’t getting as much appreciation as others. Shreyas Iyer, for me, has produced unbelievable batting. He didn’t let the pressure get to Virat Kohli. The difference between 350 and 390 was Shreyas Iyer. Imagine how much pressure India would have been in, if India had set a target of 350,” Gambhir further said.

World Cup 2023 final:

India remains the only undefeated team in the tournament so far, winning all its 10 matches. Now, the Rohit Sharma-led side will try to make it 11 by beating Pat Cummins-led Australia, who reached the finals by beating South Africa in the second semi-finals on 16 November.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will take place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on 19 November.

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Updated: 17 Nov 2023, 09:09 PM IST