Shreyas Iyer, the man with 79 runs for India against New Zealand, may fall short of his well-deserved century, but he made sure that his team is not falling short of a fighting score. With three early wickets falling down within 30 wickets, it was him and the all-rounder Axar Patel who stabilized the base. It was them who almost pulled out a 100-run partnership until Axar got dismissed. But more than India's win, it was a story of Shreyas' rejuvination yet again. If it was Iyer's love for the Kiwis or his ongoing red-hot form, but that he is again in the scene for a better cause is a matter of discussion. Read also: Watch: Virat Kohli Mimicking Shreyas Iyer’s Misfield Against New Zealand However, Iyer seems to not discuss the past, especially the contract snub and staying outside the national for almost more than a year despite having a phenomenal World Cup performance in 2023. Even that the selectors had long discussions to decide if he should be in or not, and not making him the first choice in the team could be scratched off. Probably he would happily sideline his achievements in IPL and domestic cricket, but the learning he gathered over the time, be it technical or philosophical. On March 2nd, in Dubai, in the post-match pressy, Shreyas Iyer resonated those thoughts. He said, "It has definitely taught me a lot as a person, as an individual, on how to take the responsibility on myself rather than depending on someone else because, over a period of time, I realised that it's only you versus you. No one is going to be there to help you in your tough times, but there are only limited people who would be there and you know them very closely. So yeah, I've been just backing myself and showing that sort of confidence in every situation I enter in. I always love to back my instincts. I keep saying that again and again, and I think that's what has helped me in the last 1.5 years. And also the technique that I've developed. I think we had a vivid chat about it. But other than that, just to stay in the present as much as possible and not to dwell in those thoughts which has happened in the past." Shreyas Iyer could score big against Bangladesh. Still, he managed to score 150 runs in three games, being the highest scorer for India, just above Shubman Gill. His average reads 50 and has a strike rate of 82.41. Read also: IND vs NZ Live: ICC CT 2025 Match 12 - Ball-by-Ball Commentary Have Iyer retained his Central Contract? Technically, Iyer should have gotten back his central contract, but the situation remains unclear. Despite an impressive ODI World Cup 2023, where he amassed 530 runs in 11 matches, he was dropped from the BCCI's central contract list in February 2024 for skipping the Ranji Trophy semi-final. BCCI had stated that players missing out could regain contracts by meeting specific match criteria—three Tests, eight ODIs, or ten T20Is. Players like Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan benefited from this rule, earning Grade C contracts. Since February 2024, Iyer has played nine ODIs, including India’s Champions Trophy match against New Zealand. While his 369 runs solidified his spot at No. 4, the September 30 cutoff prevented his contract reinstatement. Before the snub, he was listed in Grade B.