Captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS) Shreyas Iyer The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in great form in 2026 and is carrying its momentum from the previous edition. Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Iyer for a place in India's T20 squad, saying he deserves selection regardless of who he replaces in the lineup.
Iyer has been in great form and has scored three consecutive half-centuries in the last three innings. His aggressive approach is reflected in his impressive strike rate of 187.96 so far in IPL 2026, making him one of the standout performers of the season.
“I am not just looking at the runs being scored, the quantity of them or the sixes or fours, but just his presence on the field. And that tells you a story. When Shreyas Iyer is just marking his guard – every time and for the last five games in this edition – then it looks like he is in an area that is perhaps not imaginable to people who have not seen the game this way. [as cricketers]. This is called zone. You reach stages in your career where you feel almost [for] In a year or two, you won't take a wrong step,” Ashwin said on ESPNcricinfo.
“And that happens because you are in a zone. Everything is going smoothly. From what you are eating, when you are sleeping, how you are practicing. You hit a ball in the nets and when you play the first and the next you get the same ball,” he said.
Ashwin said that Iyer's presence at the crease is currently intimidating the bowlers, which highlights his remarkable hunger for runs. He praised Iyer's batting intent and described his hunger for scoring as sensational. Ashwin also said that Iyer has been on an important journey in his career, particularly highlighting how he has worked and improved his ability to handle short-pitched balls, now converting them into big run-scoring opportunities.
“His sheer presence [at the crease] He is scaring the bowlers in many ways. And how has he done it? His hunger to be able to better himself is sensational. I have played cricket for a long time. I have talked to many cricketers. Many people don't have the appetite to leave what they are good at and explore the areas where they are weak. You must have seen a lot of careers where people have not worked on their weaknesses at all,” Ashwin said.
“And that journey is what I recommend as good to great. I personally feel Shreyas has started the journey from good to great. And I am not saying he is great. I am saying it is a journey. It has been said that he cannot play the short ball. He said, 'Okay, I will pull the short ball in a Test match and get out, but I am not running away from the competition.' A six. This is probably inspirational for many cricketers who watch the game. And then he is hitting the fast bowlers down the ground. But why is he doing this? Because they know he's keeping it away.”
Ashwin also argued that Iyer's batting form has had a positive impact on his captaincy. Under his leadership, PBKS reached the final in the 2025 season and continued their strong performance in IPL 2026. At this stage of the tournament, PBKS are on top of the points table with four wins from five matches with one washout.
“The ease he is creating around the team is to say that we will have brotherly conversations. It is a brotherhood here. At the end of the day, I have played in teams where there is always that level that you cannot… You cannot go to the captain or the coach and say, 'I will deliver this for you'. And that has happened. The fact that he has kept it simple is like it is done in your street or in your tennis-ball game, where you Coming back home, we do this all the time with our captain or our friend, that atmosphere is amazing,” Ashwin said.
“He's growing into a leader. And I think the way he's batting, he's growing into a leader that players are looking up to, which is a lethal combination,” he said.
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