Renovated Shreyas Iyer Gives Impression Of Cracking T20 Code

Bhargav Dixit

Shreyas Iyer plays on the off-side. [Source: @incricketteam/X]Shreyas Iyer plays on the off-side. [Source: @incricketteam/X]

Having played a career-best Indian Premier League knock, there couldn’t have been a better way for Shreyas Iyer to kick-start his Punjab Kings career. In what is only the third instance of Iyer crossing the 90-run mark in the biggest T20 tournament across the globe, him doing it after almost seven years highlights the significant improvement in his batting.

On another day, Iyer could’ve easily registered a maiden IPL century but 97* (42) against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad was a powerhouse knock of the highest order.

Often, but sometimes unfairly, criticized for his inability to play the big shots, the 30-year-old player’s 44 sixes are the joint-lowest for Indian batters with at least 1,000 T20I runs. Iyer, who hit nine sixes during the course of his latest innings, was able to do the same only for the second time in his IPL career.

Shreyas Iyer Hit Nine Sixes Tonight

More than clearing the boundary in this fashion once in less than five balls, Iyer’s biggest attainment lied in the fact that he targeted GT’s best bowlers when needed the most. With opening batter Prabhsimran Singh striking at 62.5 in the powerplay, Iyer, batting at No. 3, immediately hit a four and a six off Kagiso Rabada in his attempt to make lost ground.

When Titans spinner Sai Kishore picked two wickets right after the halfway mark, Iyer watched out two Rashid Khan deliveries before hitting a couple of sixes across three balls bowled by Kishore in his following over.

Iyer, whose skills against spinners are among the best in the world, hit two consecutive sixes in Rashid’s next over to not give a hoot to his reputation. Not appearing to compromise on the run rate, Iyer’s sixth six came in the next over bowled by Mohammed Siraj.

Having coped a blow against Prasidh Krishna, Iyer avenged the same by hitting three sixes and a four in the same over.

Shreyas Iyer Bats At 240 In The Middle Overs

More than the number of sixes, the clarity with which the right-handed batter executed them showcased how well he’s improved at a prerequisite for modern-day T20 batting.

Other than hitting sixes, Iyer used to be censured for his ability to struggle against short balls. When Krishna tried to exploit a potential weakness, Iyer took vengeance by hitting him on both sides of the ground to leave the bowler clueless.

In his first nine IPL seasons, Iyer’s strike rate in the middle overs was 130.74. With him scoring 72* (30) at a strike rate of 240 tonight, Punjab’s fans should not be keeping calm regarding what is to come.