Shreyas Iyer hailed as the 'unsung hero' of India's Champions Trophy triumph

As iterated by captain Rohit Sharma, India's historic victory at the ICC Champions Trophy was the outcome of a collective effort from the team. Different players took charge when needed for the Men in Blue to complete an unbeaten run to the trophy. However, the consistency of some players stood out. While Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped up at crucial moments, the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel remained instrumental in the middle order throughout the tournament in Dubai. Now, as India has picked up its second consecutive trophy within a year, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Shreyas Iyer for his campaign at the Champions Trophy.

Mohammad Kaif highlights the contribution of Shreyas Iyer in India's victorious ICC Champions Trophy run

Shreyas Iyer marked his comeback to the Indian team during England's tour of India at the start of the year. His entry into the Playing XI came on the back of an injury that Virat Kohli picked up ahead of the opening match. Marking the opportunity as his only chance to fight for a fair run ahead, Iyer delivered with a blistering half-century. From that opening match to the India vs New Zealand final at the ICC Champions Trophy, Iyer has made every knock count. While the initial matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan proved easy, fueled by brilliant centuries from Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, respectively, Iyer's importance was highlighted in the group-stage encounter against New Zealand.

The match saw Matt Henry rattling the Indian lineup with a five-wicket haul. As the likes of Gill, Kohli, and Rohit departed cheaply, Iyer stood up with a gritty 79-run knock. Complemented by a 45-run contribution from Hardik Pandya, Shreyas pushed India's total to a competitive 249. With the second-innings magic of spinner Varun Chakravarthy, India claimed victory by 44 runs. In the semi-final against Australia, while Kohli led the chase, his partnerships with Iyer and Patel pulled India out of a precarious situation. In the final, meanwhile, Iyer's 45-run knock proved to be the defining factor after Rohit had put India on the winning track.

The consistent performances led to Shreyas Iyer finishing the Champions Trophy as India's highest run-scorer. The middle-order batter scored 243 runs across five matches at an average of 48.60, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer overall, behind Rachin Ravindra. Now, as India returns with a triumphant result from Dubai, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has praised Iyer for his campaign.

"I admire this batter because many players came and went at the No. 4 position. We weren't getting players for the No. 4 position. This guy came and made his place and plays impactful knocks. He is this tournament's second-highest run-getter, but he didn't get a single Man of the Match," the former India batter added.