India’s Shreyas Iyer bats during the one-day international cricket match between Australia and India in Adelaide, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby) India batsman Shreyas Iyer has stressed the importance of managing workload across formats to maintain intensity, especially in red-ball cricket. After India’s two-wicket loss to Australia in the second ODI in Adelaide, Iyer explained how his approach to workload and technical adjustments helped him stay consistent and confident.Earlier this month, Shreyas Iyer requested a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to back concerns, which was approved by the BCCI.
‘It’s not something I suddenly changed’: Shreyas Iyer explains how he regained his confidence; reacts to series defeat against Australia
“When I train for long hours in red-ball cricket, I realized that my intensity tends to drop. At the international level, it can make a difference. In ODIs, you have rest days and recovery time, so it’s easier to manage. I’ve planned my approach around that,” he said.Iyer also discussed the recent return to an upright batting stance, which he credits for increasing his adaptability on different surfaces.“The technique I’ve picked up recently is not something I’m going to suddenly change. Since last year, I’ve been wanting to have an upright stance, especially on goals where the bounce is a bit more than expected. I’ve been working on it with my coach and I’m quite comfortable with it. I’ve grown up with that stance, so I thought I’d go back to my old method and see how it works,” he explained.The 30-year-old stressed the need to adapt to the conditions, adding: “Even in Mumbai, when we play on red clay wickets with extra bounce, an upright stance helps. You have to keep cutting and changing because every surface is different. I’ve changed my stance a few times now and I feel I can adapt anywhere at the moment.”Reflecting on his 118-run partnership with Rohit Sharma against a tough Australian attack, Iyer said: “Hazlewood bowled brilliantly. The ball was swinging in and out and the wicket was not easy to bat at the start. We wanted to have an attacking approach but also rotate the strike as much as possible. It was about making sure we put total pressure on the bowlers from where we bowled.”Iyer also acknowledged Australia’s strong batting, especially youngster Cooper Connolly. “I was playing at the opposite end so I couldn’t tell exactly when the wicket changed. But credit where it’s due – they batted brilliantly. They rotated the strikes well and Cooper, especially as a youngster, showed a lot of maturity to finish the game,” he said.On balancing domestic and international cricket, Iyer shared, “I don’t see any big challenge. It’s about adapting to the conditions and being ready for the match. Domestic cricket gives you that confidence and recently the India A series also gave me a lot of encouragement before I came here.”
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Despite India’s defeat, Iyer praised the effectiveness of Australia’s bowlers and discussed his progress since the Nagpur ODI against England. “It definitely hurts. The first game was not convincing because the rain played an important role and the conditions were in their favor. But this game was do-or-die for us and we wanted to give our best.” Losing early wickets made it difficult and the Australian bowlers took full advantage of that,” he said.“I have come from a domestic season where my average was around 300. When you have runs behind you, you go into international cricket with confidence. Some things are under your control, some are not. I focus on performance every time I step on the ground,” he added.
