Shreyas Iyer, the Indian cricketer who recently showcased his skills with a blazing 56-ball 82 against Sri Lanka, emphasized the importance of team performance over individual milestones, especially in a tournament as prestigious as the World Cup. Despite India posting a formidable total of 357 for 8 against Sri Lanka, none of the key batters, including Shubman Gill (92), Virat Kohli (88), and Iyer himself, managed to reach the coveted century mark.

India’s batting brilliance was somewhat overshadowed by an exceptional bowling display from Mohammed Shami (5-1-18-5), Mohammed Siraj (7-2-16-3), and Jasprit Bumrah (5-1-8-1), which contributed to their resounding 302-run victory, marking India’s largest win in 50-over format cricket.

Speaking to the media after the victory that secured India’s spot in the World Cup semifinals, Shreyas Iyer reiterated the significance of prioritizing the team’s goals:

“This is the stage where you play for the team. Don’t play for your individual performance.”

While he acknowledged discussions about missing out on centuries or half-centuries, he emphasized that in crucial situations, he would have to challenge the bowlers without dwelling on personal milestones.

Reflecting on his own performance, Iyer mentioned,

“Like if I’m batting in the 47th or 48th over, I won’t be thinking. I was sighting the ball pretty well. It’s just that I missed out on that particular ball…and a few balls here and there, I could have reached 100. But nonetheless, there are a few more matches to come, and hopefully I’ll be able to achieve that milestone,” expressing his optimism for the matches ahead.

Iyer lauded India’s bowling performance as “surreal” as they bundled out Sri Lanka for a mere 55 runs in just 19.4 overs, marking the third time this year that India had managed to restrict their opponents to less than 100 runs. While comparing the two dominant bowling performances against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final and the World Cup, Iyer pointed out the difficulty in making a direct comparison due to his different roles but highlighted the collective effort of the bowlers and fielders in supporting the team’s success.

“As a bowling unit, and also as a fielding unit, we supported our bowlers by taking a few catches here and there. The team is in a great state of mind,” Iyer concluded, highlighting the unity and confidence within the Indian team.