From setbacks to success: Shreyas Iyer's journey to IPL 2024 victory

When Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer recreated Lionel Messis famous World Cup celebration after winning the IPL 2024 it was nothing sort of an Argentina moment for him Earlier he was also snubbed from the Board of Control for Cricket in Indias central contractHe finally found a deep sense of triumph and vindication in this victory much like Messi did after exorcising the ghosts of losing the 2014 final and winning the trophy for his country after a 36year waitFollowing the Iyerled KKR victory the twotime champions Kolkata waited 10 years to lift the trophy Little wonder then that he chose to imitate the man who knows all about rising from setbacks So Iyer with the trophy in his hands took a playful walk towards his teammates quite similar to what Messi did after the final against France in Doha and handed the big prize to themAlso ReadIPL 2024 It is really amazing what he did Pietersen heap praise on NarineI am hearing a lot about Gautam Gambhir who has created a magnificent culture in the KKR team But this guy Iyer I dont think he is getting enough credit Shreyas Iyer needs some credit said the legendary Ian Bishop after KKRs triumph against SRH at the MA Chidambaram StadiumOpeners Sunil Narine and Phil Salt have got the most runs for Kolkata but they played as a team and managed to come out victorious in the dominant season topping the table with two rounds to spare and enduring just three losses in betweenIt is hard to express how we are feeling right now The wait was so long We played like invincibles throughout the season There is so much to cherish right now said IyerFor Shreyas Iyers childhood coach Pravin Amre it was a sort of special feeling Amre was the one who tested Iyer and promoted him to bat at number three from number seven in his maiden Ranji season in 201415Iyer returned with 153 his maiden firstclass hundred in their match against Bengal at Eden Gardens in December 2014 I challenged him in his entire career in MumbaiI knew how strongwilled hes and it was my job as a coach to challenge him He always liked to take the challenge in a good stride he is a good team man In the last World Cup he scored 530 runs Amre saidI always told him you just do whatever is in your hands let the other people do their job you just remain focus on whats in your hands added Amre who first took him under his wings at the Shivaji Park GymkhanaBy leading KKR into the final Iyer achieved the rare feat of playing the summit clash as captain of two different franchises in the IPL The KKR skipper missed the last season because of a back injury that required surgery in London last year He made a comeback in the Asia Cup and went on to become Indias third leading rungetter after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in last years ODI World CupThe year didnt start well for him though as he had a difficult outing in the home Test series against England and looked patchy scoring 140 runs in the first two matches before being left out for the final three TestsIt was learnt that he developed the recurring back problem even though he was cleared by the Board medical staff Iyer then became the centre of a controversy when he missed the Ranji Trophy for his home state Mumbai and went on to attend KKRs preseason camp Iyer however returned to play for Mumbai in the semifinal and final against Vidarbha where he scored a resolute 95 in the second innings of their 42nd Ranji triumphThe Board omitted him from the Grade B contract and BCCI secretary Jay Shah issued a stern warning asking players not to prioritise IPL over domestic cricketUnder intense scrutiny Iyer looked rusty at the start of the IPL and got out for a twoball duck in their opener against SRHHe had some significant contributions later on but his efforts were all overshadowed by Narine and Salts explosive battingHowever Iyer personified Captain Cool and held the teams cause ahead of his individual milestones He went on to become the fourth leading rungetter for KKR this season with 351 runs and two fiftiesShreyas Iyers best knock of the IPL 2024 came during the qualifier one match against SRH where he scored unbeaten 58 guiding his team to the finals of the mega event The way he handled the team as a player is commendable More than that he is improving as a leader and the experts in the game are also appreciating his leadership qualities Amre saidI personally believe success is not an accident he has worked hard for this handling the team Yes he had a good team under him but bringing the best out of everyone is important he addedWith PTI Inputs