Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer opined that Shreyas Iyer batted well against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series but didn’t score as many runs as he should have. Iyer scored 126 runs in five games of the series at an average of 25.20 and a strike rate of 151.81.
The Indian captain scored a crucial knock of 42 runs off 28 balls in the series opener at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. However, he failed to deliver in the next three games and then scored 50 runs off 23 balls in the final T20I at Seddon Park, Hamilton on Sunday.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “I thought Shreyas Iyer also batted really well. He was a little off-colour in T20Is, but I think he managed to score some runs in this series. Even though he didn’t score as many as he should have, I still feel that, as a captain, he contributed with the bat.”
Jaffer said the team posts a below-par score on the board if the top order fails to click.
He added, “When our top order doesn’t click, it feels like we are always putting up below-par totals. This shows how important it is for Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to perform. Abhishek Sharma is there. There was a bit of a question mark over whether he could perform equally well outside India. I think Abhishek has ticked that box completely.”
Jaffer admitted that Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked a little off-colour in the T20I series against the Kiwis
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked a little off-colour, which is a bit of a concern. He also didn’t seem to have the same pace. But knowing Bhuvi, I think he will up his game. You know, he is a very good performer.”
The veteran seamer didn’t have a great return to Indian colors as he scalped one wicket at an average of 180 in four games of the series and conceded his runs at an economy rate of 11.25.
