Iyer slammed a century in the semifinal of ODI World Cup 2023 where India beat New Zealand by 70 runs and qualified their berth for the final.
New Delhi: India batter Shreyas Iyer has recalled his memory of the ODI World Cup 2011 final which was played between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai where India won the title by six wickets.
Iyer revealed that he was also at Wankhede sitting in the north stand while MS Dhoni & Co. lifted the trophy. Iyer also revealed that he promised his friends that would also play in the World Cup and now after playing in this World Cup his dream come true.
“During 2011 WC final, I was sitting in North Stand, I had goosebumps when Vande Mataram was singing and I told my friends that I will also play a World Cup one day and yes, dream has come true” said Shreyas Iyer on Star Sports.
Shreyas Iyer on Wednesday made history, becoming the first middle-order batter to smash 500 runs or more in a single edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
With his second successive century in the tournament during the semifinals against New Zealand, Shreyas broke plenty of records and continued his purple patch in ODI cricket.
In the match, Iyer was at his most fierce. He smashed 105 in just 70 balls. His knock consisted of four boundaries and eight sixes. He struck his runs at a strike rate of 150.
In this tournament so far, Iyer has smashed 526 runs at an average of 75.14 and a strike rate of over 113. He has scored two centuries and three fifties, with the best score of 128*. The batter is the fifth-highest run-getter in the tournament so far.
The previous best-run tally by a middle-order batter in a single World Cup was by New Zealand’s Scott Styris. In the 2007 edition of the tournament, Styris smashed 499 runs at an average of 83.16, with one century and four fifties in nine innings.
This century by Iyer, which he reached in 67 balls, is the fastest-ever in a Cricket World Cup knockout match. He has surpassed legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist, who smashed a 72-ball ton against Sri Lanka in the 2007 WC final.
Iyer is also only the third Indian batter to score two or more successive WC tons, with other two being Rohit Sharma (three in 2019) and Rahul Dravid (two in 1999).
Iyer smashed eight sixes in his knock, which is the highest by an Indian batter in their World Cup innings. He has overtaken Sourav Ganguly, who smashed seven sixes during his knock of 183* against Sri Lanka in 1999.