Irani Cup: Shreyas Iyer gives cold drinks to kids at Ekana amid sweltering heat

In a heart-warming gesture, Shreyas Iyer distributed cold drinks to kids who came to watch the players at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow amid sweltering heat. He is part of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy-winning squad who are playing Rest of India in Irani Cup.

In Short

• Shreyas Iyer distributes cold drinks to kids amid intense heat
• Iyer scored 57 in Mumbai's Irani Cup match against Rest of India
• Sarfaraz Khan notched up a double hundred for Mumbai in same inning

Star India batter Shreyas Iyer is winning hearts on the internet with his heart-warming gesture for kids at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Iyer was present in Lucknow with Mumbai's Ranji Trophy-winning team for their Irani Cup match against the Rest of India. Amid the sweltering heat, Iyer couldn't help but offer his cold drinks to some kids present at the stadium. He discreetly hid his drinks under his shirt and handed them to the children, who were braving the intense heat.

The kids looked really happy as they received some refreshing coolers from Iyer, who playfully told them to "masti karo." In the video circulating on social media, Iyer was also spotted talking about how hot it was in the city as he trained with the Mumbai squad ahead of the Irani Cup match. His gesture was appreciated by many fans on social media, who praised his kindness and empathetic nature.

Watch the video here-

On the cricketing front, Iyer scored a well-crafted 57 on Day 1 of the Irani Cup match, helping Mumbai recover from early trouble. The batter formed a crucial 102-run partnership with captain Ajinkya Rahane after Mumbai were reduced to 37/3. However, Iyer was soon dismissed by Yash Dayal, who had recently been released from India’s squad against Bangladesh. Rahane continued his fine form, scoring 97, narrowly missing out on a century, but managed to stitch a solid 130-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan.

Mumbai dominates in Irani Cup

Mumbai’s dominance was further consolidated by Sarfaraz and Tanush Kotian (64), who shared a 183-run stand, putting the team in a commanding position. Sarfaraz, who didn't get an opportunity in the two Tests against Bangladesh, seized the chance and made history for Mumbai against the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. He became the first-ever Mumbai batter to score a double century in the tournament, remaining unbeaten at 221 at the close of Day 2 and steering Mumbai to a total of 536/9.

At 26 years and 346 days, Sarfaraz became the fourth-youngest player to hit a double century in the prestigious tournament. His double ton also placed him in an elite group of cricketers, including legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Shikhar Dhawan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who each have two centuries in the Irani Cup. With this feat, Sarfaraz continues to build his reputation as one of the brightest talents in Indian domestic cricket, boasting more centuries (15) than half-centuries (14) in First-Class cricket.