The Underrated Impact of Shreyas Iyer in the Middle Order: Former Indian No. 4 Batsman Speaks Out

Shreyas Iyer's indispensable presence in the ODI team has been solidified once again, thanks to his remarkable performance in recent matches. The elegant batsman made a successful comeback to the Indian squad during the England ODIs, and has consistently crossed the 50-run milestone in four out of six matches since then.

The stylish batter has worked on his technique in the past one and a half years he spent in domestic cricket, proving his mettle. He stood for India in the critical situation in the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand to rescue them and helped them post a respectable total.

Shreyas held one end when India lost their top order cheaply and stitched a 98-run stand with Axar Patel. He missed out on a century and scored 79 from 98 deliveries, which was a perfect blend of aggression and caution.

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu, who used to bat at number 4, talked about the importance of having a solid player at that position who can stabilise things when the top order fails.

"The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident here. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That’s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game," Rayudu said on JioHotstar.

‘Shreyas Iyer handled short balls well’: Rayudu

He managed to tackle the short balls confidently, which used to be an area of concern for him, as Rayudu also discussed this while sharing his assessment of his innings.

"Shreyas played an amazing innings, and his partnership with Axar Patel was crucial. The ease with which he batted on this pitch was remarkable. He handled short balls well until he got out and played spin beautifully, using the crease and angles to his advantage. He picked the pace of the ball much better than many others in the Indian lineup," he added.

The former CSK batter also pointed out that Iyer didn't get the same amount of attention as other players in the side.

"It was an unbelievable knock, and he's been a champion at No. 4. We don’t talk about him enough, but he has had a great impact on this Indian side," he concluded.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs New Zealand Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }