Shreyas Iyer's stunning century with 10 sixes puts selectors on notice for Champions Trophy squad

Shreyas Iyer shone brightly in the opening match of the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai, showcasing his explosive batting skills by scoring an unbeaten 114 runs off just 55 deliveries while batting at number 5. His brilliant innings propelled Mumbai to a commanding total of 382/4 against Karnataka, sending a strong message to their opponents. Iyer, who recently led Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has now taken on the captaincy of their List A team as well. His aggressive knock included 10 towering sixes, highlighting his unmatched power and talent in the middle order in the 50-over format.

In a knock reminiscent of his terrific century against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal, Iyer entered the pitch after having been provided a strong foundation by a 141-run partnership between Ayush Mhatre (78) and Hardik Tamore (84). With license to attack the bowling, Iyer left no mercy for the Karnataka bowlers as he hammered his 13th List A century at a strike rate of 207.27.

The Mumbai captain was given terrific death overs support from Shivam Dube, who also remained not out with 63* off 36 deliveries in an onslaught by the Mumbai batters at the Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground in Ahmedabad. The duo joined forces at 238-4 in the 40th over, and scored 144 runs in just 65 deliveries to finish Mumbai’s innings.

A terrific year on the domestic front continues for Iyer, as both captain and batter. Iyer scored 345 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at a phenomenal strike rate of 188.5 as he led Mumbai to a win, having already scored 452 runs in the first five matches of the Ranji Trophy season with an average of 90.4 as Mumbai look to defend their title in the prestigious First Class tournament.

Iyer also memorably led Kolkata Knight Riders to a third IPL win, and his first as captain, as KKR waltzed through the tournament as the most dominant team. Iyer then earned a 26.75 crore rupees paycheck in the IPL auction, snapped up by Punjab Kings as the franchise looks to earn its first IPL title.

Shreyas to be India's x-factor again?

Iyer’s knock and performances will likely mean that he retains his spot in the middle order of the Indian ODI team. Rishabh Pant's comeback has placed question marks over whether Iyer will remain the incumbent heading into the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.

However, having hammered 530 runs in the World Cup at a strike-rate of 113.24 and an average of 66.25, Iyer has sent a message to the selectors that he doesn’t intend to relinquish a role in the Indian middle order that he has dominated in recent times.

Mumbai will look to get off to a winning start in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, as the star-studded and high-potential squad looks to triple up on major Indian domestic honours and keep their place at the top of the pecking order in domestic cricket.

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