Akash Chopra praised Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) new captain Shreyas Iyer for his clean hitting and change of batting techniques to play a brilliant knock against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025. The former Indian batter claimed Iyer to be the best Indian batter in the middle overs against the spinners and observed a slight change in his stance.
Notably, Chopra felt that Iyer had improved his ability to handle short balls. The popular former India cricketer spoke about Iyer’s 97*(42) against GT. The expert felt Iyer played well against the spinners. He said Iyer did not have to step out to create momentum for himself to dispatch the ball over the stands, a case with other batters.
Chopra claimed bowlers find it difficult to predict Iyer’s moves. Akash observed how Shreyas has changed his batting slightly to adapt to the shorter formats. Chopra felt Shreyas’ back leg wasn’t parallel to the popping crease as it was in the past. He claimed the right-handed batter has more access to the areas he didn’t have in the past.
“Traditionally, batting is a side-on game, but Shreyas has adjusted his back leg such that it is no longer parallel to the popping crease but slightly open, somewhere between point and cover. His bat, which used to come down almost over the off-stump, is now positioned slightly outside, allowing him to access areas he couldn’t before,” said Chopra while speaking to JioStar’s Match Center Live.
Also Read: PBKS vs GT: Shreyas Iyer or Sai Sudharsan – Who played the best knock?
Shreyas’ balanced stance, he remains mobile and in control: Chopra
Furthermore, Aakash Chopra said that Iyer’s positioning of his bat has improved his range of shots. He felt that the PBKS skipper no longer worried about the short balls, enabling him to minimize risks and maximize control, leading to a better shot-making ability.
“This adjustment has also improved his ability to handle short balls. If a batter is solely focused on the short ball with all their weight on the back leg, they risk mistiming shots. However, with Shreyas’ balanced stance, he remains mobile and in control, which significantly enhances his shot-making ability,” Chopra concluded.
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