Important to cement my position this time - Iyer

The last time Iyer was in the ODI set up was back in February 2018. © Getty

In what has been a stop-start career so far for Shreyas Iyer, he believes more opportunities are bound to come his way in the next few months. With India looking to find a No 4 for the 2019 world cup, he had been out of favour in the ODI setup for almost a year and a half, since February 2018.

There isn't much to read into his young ODI record, but he did crack a couple of half-centuries in the five innings he has played so far, and he is eager to make the most of the opportunities that he believes will come his way if weather permits in the ongoing ODI series in the Caribbean.

"It's really important for me as a youngster, coming into the side after a year again to cement my position," Iyer said on Saturday (August 10), ahead of the second one-dayer. "When you have to cement your position, you will be needing opportunities, and I feel that I will be getting that opportunity this time and I will be making the best use of it."

However, the weather is going to be a matter of concern. With the first ODI in Guyana already washed out after only 13 overs of play and no net practice coming into the Port of Spain encounter, optimism for a 100-over affair isn't too high.

"Every series is important for the team when you are playing at the international level," he said. "And all the boys are eager to go out there and play since we are not even getting net sessions. The conditions haven't supported us. We just want to go out there and make the best of what we get.

"It's going to be another two opportunities for me to make the best use of. Hopefully, this too doesn't rain off. We are hardly getting any net practice and matches to play right now. I am eager to go out there and carry forward the momentum which I got from my India A matches."

Even as it's clear, it is the No 4 spot that is going to be up for grabs, Iyer believes he needs to be flexible if he has to grab the opportunities coming his way.

"It's totally the management's decision where they want to play me," he said. "It's (No 4) definitely a vacant spot and they are trying to give chances to youngsters to play in that position. Currently, no one is settled in that position.

"Personally, I am not thinking about batting only at No.4. I want to be someone who is very flexible batting at any number or if you go into any situation you should be able to grab that opportunity and make the best use of it."

He believes the success of the team in the recent years has been on the fact that different individuals have taken responsibility at different times to see the team through, and as a result the morale of the team is high as they look to find their dominance in the post World Cup phase.

"We have just come out of T20s, which we won. The way the team is playing currently, it's totally amazing," he said. "If one doesn't perform, the next one raises his hand and he takes the responsibility to take the team through and this is what has been happening throughout the year."