Was confident Shreyas could open: Pravin Amre

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Assistant coach Pravin Amre on Friday praised Delhi Daredevils' match-winner Shreyas Iyer, saying he was confident the young batsman could open the innings.

The 20-year-old Iyer batsman struck a 56-ball 83 to steer his side to 37-run victory over Mumbai Indians here on Thursday, thus ending his side's nine-match losing streak on their home ground Ferozeshah Kotla in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I really wanted Shreyas to do well simply because he has never opened before. I had that confidence that he can open in this particular format and so I convinced my head coach that he will do the job for our team,” Amre was quoted as saying by iplt20.com.

“In the practice matches he had batted at No.3 and in one match he got a hundred. In that particular game, we were zero for two in the first over when he went in to bat and from there he got a hundred. So everybody was convinced he can play the new ball also.”

Amre has been grooming Iyer since he was a 13-year-old.

“I am just pushing him hard. I am asking him to be there till the eighth over. Once you go in as an opener, you get that tendency to focus on only six overs. You go there and play your shots and get as many runs as you can. But I was pushing him to (be there) for two more overs,” the assistant coach said.