Shreyas Iyer’s match-winning 96 was a unique T20 innings that showed his class

In the end, Delhi Daredevils beat Gujarat Lions by two wickets with two balls to spare after Amit Mishra hit two, uncharacteristic, back-to-back boundaries. But not before 39 overs of chaos preceding that. And amid that chaos, was a coming-of-age performance from Shreyas Iyer.

In an already steep chase of 196, the required run rate was steadily climbing, well over 12 with six overs to go. At the other end, wickets were falling far too regularly. At one stage, Delhi were tottering at 121 for 6. With 75 runs needed off the last 36 balls, even the staunchest Delhi supporter would have given up hope.

But while Delhi was suffering from another dreadful start, Shreyas Iyer was capitalising on one of his best starts this season of the Indian Premier League. The 22-year-old, who was batting on 58 off 39 balls then, wasn’t going to let it go so easily.

The asking rate and wickets notwithstanding, Iyer held one end up with good, solid, classy batting. None of the fashionable slogging for him, he relied on crafty flair to get his runs. He pierced the field, prodded in the gaps, punished the bad balls, and pushed Delhi’s chase forward with a steady hand. Till he was joined by Pat Cummins at No 7. After that, he accelerated to mount a stunning counter-attack.

Together, Iyer and Cummins put up a partnership of 61 in just 27 balls. Together they brought down the equation to only 15 off 12 balls.

Unfortunately, Iyer couldn’t stay till the end to guide his team to a memorable victory. He was out on 96 of 57, agonisingly short of what would have been an excellent, well-deserved hundred. But not before he proved that those who see the youngster representing India in the near future aren’t wrong.

A unique T20 innings

When Iyer came in to bat, both Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant – the heroes of the last match against Gujarat – were back in the dugout and Delhi were shaky at 15/2 in only the second over.

He was sent in at No 4, a position he isn’t accustomed to, continuing Delhi’s trend of chopping and changing the batting order (He was sent in at No 3 in the last match, but generally opens for Mumbai in first class cricket.)

Before this match, Iyer hadn’t been able to run riot with the bat. He didn’t play the initial few games due to chicken pox, the scars of which were still visible when he spoke to Sanjay Manjrekar with the man-of-the-match trophy in hand. His highest in this IPL so far was an unbeaten 50 in a losing cause against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

But his 57-ball 96 innings was much more than a splendid individual match-winning effort. It was a rather unique Twenty20 innings.

The one number that stands out from his 96, is the 15 fours he scored, as opposed to only two sixes.

Iyer scored 60 runs, which is almost 63% of his innings, in boundaries. In fact, 15 is the highest number of fours by any batsman in a single innings this IPL. Delhi’s entire innings had only four sixes. Gujarat Lions’ Aaron Finch alone hit four sixes in his 39-ball 69. Pant’s 97 against Gujarat in their last game had nine sixes, while Samson scored seven. Admittedly, the Kotla boundaries are far shorter. But Iyer’s chase was no less effective, if not as intense.

His fifty came off 33 balls, a steady pace given the uncertainty at the other end. But even as wickets fell, he started a more clinical onslaught, scoring his next 46 off 24 balls. He regularly drove, flicked and smacked the ball around. He didn’t give in to the temptation to take the aerial route, keeping the risk minimal as he realised he was the key to Delhi’s chase.

This from a batsman who has often been dismissed, not just this season, trying to go for one big shot too many. In the alternatingly fluent and frustrating Delhi batting lineup, it was a sign that Shreyas Iyer, the batsman, is maturing. This is exactly what Delhi would have hoped he would do at the start of the season, coming off a strong Ranji Trophy season and a maiden call-up to the Indian Test team. After all, he has been Delhi’s star when they got him in 2015, at just 20, for a massive sum of 2.6 crore. While he did well in the first season winning the Emerging Player of the Year award, the coming-of-age has been a bit delayed.

At the start of IPL 10, Delhi Daredevils’ top 4 was the centre of attention, with three potential Indian internationals in the ranks. Although sporadic, Pant and Samson have shone through with a few stunning knocks this season. But Iyer was left behind, first with illness, then inconsistency in both form and batting position. But it was better late than ever, as he put in what will go down to be one of IPL 10’s most entertaining and effective individual performances.

“Two matches left, let’s hope I get two more Man of the Matches,” a smiling Iyer said after winning the man of the match in Wednesday’s game. Who knows, may be Delhi’s dismal season might end with a few more such exciting solo performances from their young Indian stars.