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Former Indian cricket head coach Ravi Shastri has highlighted significant changes which has led to the impressive performances recently of the Indian batter Shreyas Iyer in the white-ball format.
Shastri praised Iyer's improved stance and technique. He highlighted Iyer's ability to play both sides of the wicket by moving back and across, allowing him to pull, hook, and cut effectively. "He was very side on, was back and back, very much leg-side. The fact that he's prepared to go back and across now, and with a very upright stance, and the pickup. While he's moving back, the bat's being picked up as well when he's going back and across. That allows him to play both sides of the wicket. If they bang it in short, he can pull and hook. And if there's any room outside the off stump, he can cut as well," Ravi Shastri was quoted as saying by the ICC. Iyer has been in brilliant form in white ball cricket. He was the second-highest run scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and Dubai, which India won. He finished the tournament, smashing 243 runs at an average of 48.60. Shastri explained how Iyer's improved stance provides him with more space to play shots, eliminating the previous vulnerability of being targeted on the leg side. He emphasised the batsman's timing, hand-eye coordination, and potential for destructive batting when he gets into position early. "So that opens up the game for him rather than being too leg-side where the rib cage was being targeted, and then there was no escape. Now he's got space to go both ways, and he's such a good timer of the ball. He's got good hands, and when he gets into position early, then he can be devastating, as he's showing now when he's batting," he said. Former Indian head coach acknowledged Iyer's strong performance in white-ball cricket, particularly in ODIs, making him a sure pick for the format. However, he emphasised that Iyer's selection for Test cricket will depend on competition and the overall team composition. "Shreyas Iyer in particular, the way he's played for India over the last 18 months, and he's become an absolute certainty in the white-ball format of the game, especially the one-day format. He can (earn a recall for Test cricket), but it's again going to be a competition. White-ball, certain (selection). Test cricket, we have got to see who the other players are around," he added. India's upcoming significant challenge is the red-ball tour of England, where they are scheduled to encounter the hosts in a five-match Test series that will mark their initial outing for the new ICC World Test Championship cycle. Iyer played his last test against England in 2024. In the second match of the five-match series in Visakhapatnam, he made scores of 27 and 29 in the two innings. (ANI)
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