Legendary Anil Kumble picked Shreyas Iyer as India’s most reliable one-day batter after the 2025 Champions Trophy triumph. India defeated New Zealand by four wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday to win their seventh ICC title.

Iyer scored an impressive knock of 48 runs in the summit clash against the Blackcaps in the run-chase of 252. India was reeling at 122-3 after losing thee quick wickets but Iyer added a pivotal alliance of 61 runs with Axar Patel.

The Mumbai batter scored 243 runs in five matches of the eight-team tournament at an average of 48.60 and was India’s highest run-getter in the competition and the second-highest overall.

Meanwhile, Iyer scored 530 runs in 11 matches of the ODI World Cup 2023 at an impressive average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.25 and played a key role in taking India to the final.

Anil Kumble said on ESPN Cricinfo, “Yes, he has been [India’s most reliable batter]. We saw that even in the ODI World Cup and in this competition as well. At No. 4, you need someone really reliable, who not just controls the innings, but then goes at a pace that is required of that situation. I think Shreyas has certainly read that.”

Kumble praised Iyer for controlling the middle phase of the innings to leave a good platform for finishers like KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya.

“His role in this team is not to finish the game, but ensure that those middle periods, whenever he walks in, till about the 35th-40th over, he sets things up for the KL Rahuls and the Hardik Pandyas to come in and finish things off. What’s been impressive has been his partnerships – initially with Virat Kohli in that previous game and then here again, with Axar Patel.”

Iyer will lead Punjab Kings in the upcoming IPL 2025.