SMAT: Shreyas Iyer auditions for IPL auction with stunning century
Mumbai skipper Shreyas Iyer produced a stunning century in his side's first match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Goa. The match took place at the Gymkhana Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday. Iyer's unbeaten 130 off just 57 balls, comprised 11 fours and 10 sixes. This phenomenal effort took Mumbai to an imposing 250/4 in their 20 overs. Iyer's batting exhibition comes just ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction.
Iyer's return to SMAT after 2 years
This match was Iyer's first in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy since 2022. His phenomenal performance is sure to catch the eye of IPL teams, who are gearing up for the auction on Sunday and Monday. Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title in May but was not retained by KKR ahead of the auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Iyer's consistent performance in domestic cricket
Iyer has been in sublime form across formats in domestic cricket. His recent exploits include a double century (233) against Odisha and a century (142) against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy. These performances, along with the latest T20 masterclass, underline his match-winning capabilities. This year, he also guided Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title win, adding to his credentials as a batter and a captain.
Third century in T20 cricket
This was Iyer's third century in T20 cricket as he has raced to 5,759 runs across 215 games in the format at an average of 33.09. His strike rate is 132.57. Iyer's tally also includes 36 half-centuries. As per ESPNcricinfo, Iyer has slammed 3,127 runs in 115 IPL games at 32.24 with his strike rate being 125.48 (50s: 21).
