Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has revealed that negative comments from his side have shut down comments and watched greats like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have had a serious impact on his game in the last few years. After Iyer’s par show in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the bat, Iyer went all guns blazing in 2025 with over 600 runs.
In the ongoing IPL 2026, the right-hander has already amassed 279 runs from eight games, including four fifty-plus scores. Speaking to former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on the JioStar show, Iyer admitted that people’s deuces about his ability to handle the short ball triggered his preparation and mindset. “People said I would never solve my short ball problem,” Iyer said.
“That started me. I wanted to prove them wrong by performing well. So I worked hard on that. I used to take a single or try to keep the ball down. But now my mindset has changed. If I see a short ball in my zone, I hit it for a six,” added the Indian middle-order batsman.
How has Shreyas Iyer transformed?
The transformation in his batting approach came with a price. He not only worked with his childhood coach Pravin Amr but also shared his ideas with former India assistant coach and current Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar. In fact, Iyer spends a fair amount at the nets today and tries to bowl around 300 balls.
In his newfound approach, Iyer tries to create flow just before the bowler releases the ball from his hands like Rohit, Kohli and De Villiers do. “I don’t follow a set pattern. I take more time in the middle and face real pitchers, not just sidearm throws. The more I face pitchers, the clearer my movement is. I focus on creating a rhythm.
“Just before the bowler bowls, I try to get into my position quickly. That creates a flow. You must have seen AB de Villiers do it. Even Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have that rhythm before they play their shots. I try to do the same,” added Iyer, who led Punjab Kings to second place in IPL 2025.
Learning off the field is helping Shreyas Iyer
The 30-year-old also talked about where his confidence comes from and how he gets up. “A cricketer’s maturity comes from learning off the field. From facing rejection and losing games. Self-talk is very important. People will always try to pull you down, but it depends on how you pick yourself up. Sometimes I read books that make me feel good.
“I try to take my mind off cricket. I go on holidays, I spend time alone. Letting go is very important. You set a goal and you want to achieve it. But you also have to tell yourself that if it doesn’t happen, it’s okay. Accept it and move on. Otherwise you keep thinking about what went wrong and I fall behind. I got to a point where I realized that even if I don’t achieve a specific goal, I’m not achieving it.”
Punjab Kings are yet to lose a single match in IPL 2026 and are sitting at the top of the points table with 13 points from seven matches. One of their games against KKR was lost.
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