India’s captain Rohit Sharma heaped praises on his teammate Shreyas Iyer after India defeated New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. Rohit labelled Iyer as the ‘Silent hero’ and hailed his contributions throughout the tournament.
The comment went viral and Shreyas Iyer has now decided to reply to Rohit Sharma’s comment. Iyer claimed that he doesn’t come silently and likes to play with all his heart. He spoke about his strong mindset which lets him perform on the big stage.
Iyer was under pressure coming into this tournament as he had lost his place in India’s Test and T20I sides. With the limited no. of ODIs being played, Iyer’s place in the national team was under scrutiny, given that he is not a part of BCCI’s central contracts as well.
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During an interview with TOI, Shreyas Iyer replied to Rohit Sharma’s ‘silent hero’ comment. The 30-year-old middle-order batter spoke about his mindset which helps him perform in various situations. He also spoke about his failures that have helped him grow as a player.
“I don’t come quietly (laughs). I come with my full heart and there is something else going on in my mind. I have a lot of confidence in myself to do the job. Koi bhi situation mai bhejo, karke aauga (Send me in any situation, I’ll do it),” Iyer said.
“This mindset works for me and this confidence comes after facing rejections and failures. They are the best teachers. You also get to know during tough times, only you can lift yourself. No one else,” he added.
Iyer further spoke about getting respect while playing for the country. He is satisfied by the way he batted throughout the tournament where the pitches were not easy to bat.
“When I talk about recognition, it’s about getting that respect. It was about the respect for whatever efforts I put on the field. I think sometimes it gets unnoticed but extremely satisfied with the efforts I put in because they weren’t easy wickets to bat on,” said Iyer.
Rohit Sharma’s praises for Shreyas Iyer
After India’s victory in the final, Rohit Sharma attended the press conference where he hailed Shreyas Iyer for having a fantastic tournament with the bat. He mentioned about the importance of Iyer in the middle overs and praised the way he paced his innings.
“Not to forget the silent hero Shreyas Iyer throughout the tournament was brilliant. He was very, very important in that middle phase for us,” Rohit had told the reporters.
“Stitched the partnerships with all the batters who are batting with him that semi-final against Australia, with him and with Virat (Kohli) at that point was very, very important,” he added.
Iyer was India’s most consistent batter throughout the tournament. While he failed to score a fifty in the semi-final and the final, his crucial forties on a difficult batting surface played a key role in India’s victories.
Shreyas Iyer’s numbers in CT 2025
Iyer emerged as the second-highest run-scorer of the Champions Trophy 2025, just behind New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra. Iyer scored 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60 with two half-centuries.
It was a different Shreyas Iyer in the tournament as he looked secure at the crease without taking undue risks. He took his time to settle down and also put bad balls to the boundary.
He formed important partnerships with Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, and other batters during various stages of the tournament to help India post match-winning totals. In the final, he scored a valiant 48 off 62 balls and ensured that India crossed the line comfortably in the end.
