Stupidity and the C word: Shreyas Iyer's and the philosophy of Langda Tyagi
If Langda Tyagi were a cricket fan, he'd be tempted to remind Shreyas Iyer of his iconic philosophy - only a thread separates stupidity and the C word. Pull the string and you struggle to figure out what's stupidity and what's cricket. For nothing else explains Shreyas Iyer's cricket career.On current evidence, Iyer is one of Indian cricket's bahubalis, a worthy successor to Virat Kohli's Omkara. He has the same swag, the same middle-finger-up mindset, and the game to back it up. His big-game performances reveal, if not rival, the Kohli template - hunger to fight for India's honour, and decimate rivals.advertisementIn the 2023 Cricket World Cup, he amassed 530 runs in 11 innings at an average of 66.25, with a strike rate of 113.24, including two centuries and three fifties. He was the first middle-order batter to score over 500 runs in a single World Cup.An Unsung ICC Hero
In the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Iyer scored 243 runs at an average of 48.60, with three fifties, emerging as India's top batter and the tournament's second-highest run-scorer, contributing significantly to India's title win. His ability to dominate spin and deliver in high-pressure knockout games was key to India's triumph. But his performance was forgotten like Bipasha Basu's item numbers in Omkara - entertaining but just a rite of passage.Like in Bollywood, cricketing fame is reserved for the A-listers. Iyer's contributions have been eclipsed by the defiance of Kohli, the derring-do of Rohit, the magic of Jasprit Bumrah, and the T20 brilliance of Surya Kumar Yadav.advertisementBut as Dolly Mishra says in Omkara, even when the moon's half, it is still the moon.The L FactorIt is evident Iyer has the wretched luck of Langda Tyagi, the sharpshooter upstaged by a college kind in Vishal Bharadwaj's cult classic Omkara.His career has been plagued by injuries and off-field controversies. From the cusp of greatness, he has been pulled back many times.Even in the IPL, Iyer keeps reminding us of his resilience and luck - the lack of it. He is a successful IPL captain – the only one to lead three franchises to the play-off stage. His batting has the same selfless spirit that defines Rohit Sharma's exploits. And, like Bumrah, he is an exemplar of come-backs - someone who has risen above recurrent injuries and reclaimed his uncelebrated glory.In 2020, Iyer became the only captain to guide Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL final, where they lost to Mumbai Indians.In 2021, a shoulder injury forced him to miss the first half, with Rishabh Pant taking over as captain. Despite returning for the second half, DC management retained Pant as captain (who ditched them later.)In 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders acquired and appointed him captain. After a disappointing 2022, Iyer missed the next season due to a back injury, with Nitish Rana leading KKR.advertisementHe returned in 2024 to lead KKR to their third IPL title, their first in a decade. But Iyer was surprisingly released by KKR before the 2025 auction, reportedly due to a 'lack of communication' with the franchise.Meanwhile, Iyer was dropped from the BCCI central contract, allegedly for ignoring domestic cricket. It was punishment for a luxury that has been offered to many other contemporary players.The entire idea of domestic cricket has been shown up for what it is—a farce. Many consistent performers on the domestic circuit are ignored in favour of IPL performances. In hindsight, it seems, his exclusion was just a ruse to sideline him for reasons the future would reveal.Iyer's Omission Test SquadIyer's Test career is a testament to his fate, written perhaps with, as Langda ruminates, an equine appendage.Shreyas Iyer has played 14 Test matches and batted in 24 innings, scoring 811 runs at an average of 37 with 1 century and 5 half-centuries.Also Read: Gautam Gambhir avoids question on Shreyas Iyer's Test exclusion: I am not selectorHis average is better than half the Indian side touring England this summer. The only explanation for his exclusion is his perceived weakness against short balls. But Iyer's recent exploits suggest he has worked on this weakness.advertisementThe defining principle behind the selection of the Indian squad for England is hope, the optimism that players with a lesser record despite more opportunities will succeed.His recent form, record, and experience made Iyer a safe bet for the future.But as Omkara opined, Sarat ghodon pe lagate haiSandipan Sharma, our guest author, likes to write on cricket, cinema, music and politics. He believes they are interconnected.Must Watch
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