Uncapped Shreyas Iyer on Tuesday (October 31) revealed he is a "very flexible" player and that he will try to give his best if he gets into Indian playing XI in the first T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand in New Delhi on Wednesday, November 1.
While he remained tight-lipped about the much-talked about the XI for the first T20I, the 22-year-old Mumbai Indians (MI) batsman is among the favourites for a middle-order spot.
KL Rahul, who was recently dropped from the ODI series against the Black Caps and comeback man Dinesh Karthik are the other contenders for the number four position in the Virat Kohli-led side.
'Will give my best'
"I think I am very flexible. I don't mind batting at any number. Even in Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, I was shuffled from number four to number three. It didn't really matter to as I am comfortable," Iyer, who got his maiden India call-up earlier this month, told reporters on the eve of the first T20I.
He added: "Whatever number I bat, if I get to play the game, I will see to it that I give my best."
Iyer was rewarded for his consistent performances both in the domestic circuit and the IPL over the last two years.
The Mumbai batsman, who is capable of mixing brute force with orthodox shot-making, hit 809 runs at 50.56 in his debut Ranji Trophy season (2014/15) to finish as his team's highest run-scorer.
Brightest young prospect
IPL franchise Daredevils snapped up the youngster by paying a mammoth Rs 2.6 crore in 2015. Iyer repaid the faith shown in him by hitting 439 runs from 14 matches, thereby winning the "Emerging Player of the Year" award. The right-hander further kept himself in the selectors' radar by smashing 1,321 runs at an average of 73.38 in Ranji 2015/16 season.
Iyer proved his versatility when he led India A to a tri-series title in South Africa earlier this year. He hit a 131-ball 140 against South Africa A in the final of the tournament, which also had Afghanistan A.
"It was very helpful for me. I was going through a good patch, got good starts, but I was not able to convert them into big kocks till the final," Iyer spoke of the match-winning knock.
"It [the final] was a big game, it [the knock] was really satisfying that it came through and obviously, once you get the team through, you get a lot of attention from the teammates as well."
Notably, Iyer has warmed-up to the upcoming T20I rubber with a fine century against Tamil Nadu in th ongoing Ranji Trophy season. During his 131-ball 140 in Mumbai, the middle-order batsman took senior off-spinner R Ashwin to the cleaners, showcasing the confidence he has in his big-hitting abilities.
