Punjab Kings’ captain and in-form batter Shreyas Iyer has revealed what motivated him to work on his game against short balls. It was well documented that the right-hander had some weakness against short balls, and the opposition used to target him with that.
The Mumbai batter has been an instrumental figure in the Indian Premier League, leading Kolkata Knight Riders to a championship win in IPL 2024 while also taking PBKS to their first-ever IPL final since 2014. Even in IPL 2026, he has been leading his side well, especially with the bat. His antics with the bat have helped PBKS win a few games singlehandedly.
In response to the short-ball tactics used against him, the Indian middle-order batter took it up as a challenge and worked hard on his game. Nowadays he seems much more confident against bouncers and often takes them on.
“People said I would never fix my short-ball problem. That triggered me. I wanted to prove them wrong by performing well. So, I worked hard on it. Earlier, I would just 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 am going to hit it for a six,” Iyer said via JioStar.
He further revealed his practice routine along with his childhood coach Pravin Amre and current KKR coach Abhishek Nayar. Iyer spoke about how he changed his approach in the practice sessions, while preferring real bowlers instead of just throw-downs.
“I work with Pravin Amre. I have been with him since I was young. I also talk to coaches like Abhishek Nayar. We share ideas. During my batting practice, I now try to play around 50 overs and face over 300 balls. That helps me understand what works for me. I don’t follow a fixed pattern. I give myself more time in the middle and face real bowlers, not just sidearm throws,” Iyer said further.
“The more I face bowlers, the clearer my movement becomes. I focus on creating a rhythm. Just before the bowler delivers, I try to get into my position quickly. That creates a flow. You must have seen AB de Villiers do that. Even Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have that rhythm before playing their shots. I try to do the same,” he elaborated.
Punjab Kings currently sit at the top of the points table with 13 points in just 7 games and are the only undefeated side remaining in this season.
