Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has opened up about his troubles against the short ball. Iyer said that it triggered a mindset change as many thought that he wouldn’t be able to get past it. A few years ago, Even in press conferences Iyer was asked question which irked him but it led to him working hard with coaches Pravin Amre and Abhishek Nayar to get better.
“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. 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,” Iyer told former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on JioStar.
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Iyer has made it a point to face an ODI innings’ worth of overs in practice sessions. He gives importance to facing bowlers over sidearm throws as it helps him move better and get into the position to counter the short ball. He said that greats like AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, and, Virat Kohli have followed the same pattern.
“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. 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,” Iyer said.
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PBKS on top, Iyer scores 4 fifties
Currently, Iyer-led PBKS have been unbeaten in the ongoing tournament ahead of Rajasthan Royals (RR) clash at home on April 28. He has been impressive with the bat, just outside the list of top 10 leading run-scorers. From six innings, he has scored 279 runs at an average of 69.75 and strike rate of 186. He has scored four fifties in the tournament already, most by any batter.
Iyer will be tested by the short balls again from RR's English pacer Jofra Archer.