Mohammad Kaif Praises Shreyas Iyer: India’s Great Unsung Hero in Champions Trophy 2025!
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif lauded Shreyas Iyer for his consistent performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The 44-year-old shed light on one of the unsung heroes of the tournament and remarked that the right-handed batter didn’t get a single ‘Player of the Match’ award despite his noteworthy contributions at the No.4 spot in the batting lineup.
Several Indian players stepped forward and performed well in their departments in the CT 2025, including two big heavyweights of the team—Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have become the talk of the town for playing vital roles against the toughest opponents.
Surprisingly, Iyer was overlooked for the honourable individual awards, even though rated as the highest run scorer for India and the second-highest run-getter of the recently concluded ICC event.
Kaif Surprised with Iyer’s Form: A Silent Hero in India’s CT 2025 Triumph
Speaking on Star Sports, Kaif heaped praises on Iyer’s ability to perform under pressure even though he wasn’t a full-time player of India’s test or T20I squad for the past few months:
“Yes! I was completely stunned by his current form. Neither has he played any tests nor in any T20I matches in recent times. He has been featuring only for India in ODIs. So, it becomes clear that you have not been with the team at all times.
It becomes challenging when you are selected straightaway for the Indian squad immediately after playing in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai. Then comes a situation where you have to take calculated risks, maintain an aggressive approach, strike boundaries, and maintain your natural playing style,” the ex-Indian off-spinner said.
Shreyas Iyer’s Consistency at No.4 Batting Position
Iyer exhibited superb consistency at the fourth slot in the batting order, having scored 243 runs in 5 innings at an average of 48.60 and strike rate of 79.41. It includes his two crucial fifties against Pakistan and New Zealand in group-stage matches.
In other words, Shreyas scored 40-plus runs in India’s last four games of the tournament. Mohammad Kaif voiced his admiration for Iyer cementing the No.4 position, as India was failing to get the perfect candidate for ages:
“Excellent! I admire this batter because many players came and left at the No.4 position. This is because we couldn’t get quality players who can bat at this batting spot. But, this gentleman came and secured his place by playing effective knocks,” Kaif added.
For several years, India has been searching for the best No.4 batter. Finally, Shreyas made his impact with many match-winning performances and had a great run in the 2023 ODI World Cup, accumulating 530 runs in 11 matches.
Once again, Iyer proved his worth as a reliable No.4 batter in ODI cricket and the following are his scores against these teams in Champions Trophy 2025:
| Opponent Team | Runs Scored | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh (Group Stage Match) | 15 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 88.24 |
| Pakistan (Group Stage Match) | 56 | 67 | 5 | 1 | 83.58 |
| New Zealand (Group Stage Match) | 79 | 98 | 4 | 2 | 80.61 |
| Australia (Semi-Final 1) | 45 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 72.58 |
| New Zealand (Finals) | 48 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 77.42 |
Iyer Ignored for Prestigious Individual Awards
Even after being the tournament’s second-leading run-scorer after New Zealand’s all-rounder Rachin Ravindra (263 runs in 4 matches), Shreyas Iyer wasn’t granted a single ‘Player of the Match’ award. Instead, Ravindra who compiled just 20 runs more than Iyer bagged the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
Moreover, Shreyas was the core batter whose match-winning knocks and consistency helped maintain steady partnerships after the dismissals of the openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in crucial phases of the innings. Here’s what Mohammad Kaif had to say expressing his disappointment:
“See! He (Iyer) was the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament. But, he wasn’t honored with a single ‘Man of the Match’ award, which is extremely disappointing,” Kaif concluded.
