Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed Shreyas Iyer as India’s “Mr Consistent” in ODIs, highlighting the batter’s reliability following his return to international cricket against New Zealand in Vadodara.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin praised Iyer’s fluent 49-run knock off 47 balls, noting that his dismissal by New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson was simply too good to handle. He emphasized Iyer’s consistent ability to perform under pressure, calling him a key stabilizer in India’s middle order.
In the series opener, Iyer played a crucial role alongside Virat Kohli, stitching a 77-run partnership for the third wicket that helped India chase down 301. His composure and intent at the crease reaffirmed his value to the team after recovering from injury.
Iyer’s ODI record further underscores his consistency: 2,966 runs from 68 innings at an average of 47.83, including five centuries and 23 half-centuries. With just 34 runs needed to reach 3,000 ODI runs, he is on track to become the fastest Indian to the milestone, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan (72 innings) and Virat Kohli (75 innings), while potentially drawing level with Viv Richards as the fourth-fastest globally.
