'Not thinking about T20 WC, want to focus on IPL' - Shreyas Iyer

India batter Shreyas Iyer has almost recovered from his shoulder injury and is looking to make a comeback to professional cricket in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which is slated to begin from September 19 in the UAE. The Mumbai batter was out of action since March due to shoulder injury he sustained during England tour of India. Iyer said he is looking forward to delivering some good performances in the IPL.

"It's a great opportunity, especially after coming back from an injury to play in the IPL. After that, the World Cup. These are the two biggest tournaments for an Indian cricketer to play at. We have always dreamed of being part of such an amazing time," Iyer told Sports Today.

Iyer further opined that the injury taught him to keep working harder on his goals. "All these moments... the last four months. It has fuelled and propelled my mindset to keep working harder and smarter. No rest days for me at this point of time. Really looking forward to the matches which I am going to play right now," he said.

 In Iyer’s absence, his Mumbai teammate Suryakumar Yadav grabbed his opportunities with both hands and gave a good account of himself by scoring a fifty in his debut T20I innings. With limited spots available for the T20 World Cup, Iyer may be competing with Yadav for a place in the squad. The 26-year-old however is not thinking about the competition of places in the team and said he is rather looking to improve his own game.

"It's you vs you always. And I don't compare myself to others. Obviously, there are many players who are there to take my position and, there is so much competition but, if I look at my performance in the last few years, it has been awesome. I just want to keep going beyond my abilities. Every day I am looking to become the best version of myself. I will do anything to be in the team and make sure my team wins. That’s my mindset at this point of time," he said.