Star India batter Shreyas Iyer has been one of the best batters and leaders in recent years of the IPL (Indian Premier League). Being bought by Punjab Kings in the 2025 mega auction, Iyer has completely transformed the team and made them a force to be reckoned with.ย
Under his leadership, Punjab Kings went to the IPL 2025 final, where they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Furthermore, they look just as formidable in 2026, staying unbeaten after 7 matches in the 19th edition of the tournament. However, the 31-year-old had to endure several hardships to establish himself as one of the best batters and leaders in world cricket.ย
In a recent interview, Iyer came forward and talked about his inner need to prove his critics wrong. He opined that he does not like hearing that he cannot do something, and that drives him to do better.ย
โI have people around me who say that in this situation, you canโt do it. Itโs impossible. I donโt like hearing that. As a cricketer playing at the highest level, I just canโt accept it. Then in my mind, I decide that I have to prove them wrong. The challenge becomes: โI was in this situation, how can I come back stronger?โ I push myself harder and try to return as soon as possible to prove them wrong,โ Iyer said on JioStarโs โBelieveโ.
Iyer opened up on overcoming his shot-ball weakness
It is worth noting that in the early years, Shreyas Iyer was often caught struggling when batting against short balls. However, the ace batter seems to have made his weakness his speciality and is brilliant in almost every area with the bat.ย
โPeople 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,โ he said.ย
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