Shreyas Iyer cracks first Ranji Trophy double hundred for Mumbai in 9 years, records career-best First Class score | Cricket News

Shreyas Iyer converted his second successive Ranji Trophy hundred into a third First-Class double hundred against Odisha at the BKC Ground in Mumbai on Thursday.
The out-of-favour India batter has worked his way back into form, having struck a century in his previous match against Maharashtra in the second round. It had been almost three years, 38 innings and a few surgeries since Shreyas Iyer had scored a first-class hundred. The last one had come on his Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021.
The 29-year-old Iyer then missed out on Mumbai’s trip to Tripura in the third round with a shoulder injury.
Iyer’s hundred on Day 1 came in just 101 balls and stumps he was batting on 152 with 18 fours and four sixes. As Iyer took the charge of scoring quick runs, his partner Siddhesh Lad held his fort. Lad didn’t take any undue risks as he aimed for a perfect comeback to Mumbai cricket. His unbeaten 116 came off 234 balls to ensure Mumbai took total control.
Iyer reached his double century in only 201 balls on the back of 22 fours and eight sixes. It was his first First-Class double century since an unbeaten 202 against a visiting Australia team ahead of the 2017-18 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Mumbai.
Iyer’s previous Ranji Trophy double century came way back in October 2015 in his second season.
Iyer’s hundreds have rekindled his hopes of returning to the Indian Test team. He was part of the squad when England visited these shores earlier this year, but his back issue post surgery made him opt for rest. “I am very keen for a comeback but (would try to) control the controllables. My job is to keep performing and keep participating as much as possible and also see that my body is in the best shape. So I’ll make the best decision possible according to that,” he had told The Indian Express earlier in October.