By Karan Agrawal 
India’s highest run-getter in the recently concluded Champions Trophy Shreyas Iyer has finally opened up about his ‘struggles’ against the short ball. The right-hand batter feels that a perception was created that he can’t play short pitch deliveries Shreyas said while talking to PTI “Maybe, the perception was created or maybe I was typecast. But I always knew my strengths, my abilities, and (there was also) the belief (that) I had in myself.” Batting at number four after India’s exit from the 2019 ODI World Cup Iyer has been the backbone of the team for the last few years and has bailed India out of trouble with his aggressive strokeplay on several occasions.
The Preference
Iyer who will be leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 admitted that he likes to bat at number four. In the words of Iyer, “I feel I belong to the No.4 position. Whether it was in the 2023 World Cup or now in the Champions Trophy, I enjoyed the most coming as No.4. It gives me a sense of belonging and that’s where I am able to flourish.”
The Search
Shreyas has been able to provide the much-needed balance that the Indian team was looking for at number four after winning the 2011 World Cup which strangely took more than 8 years, having tried a host of options including the likes of Anjinkya Rahane, Vijay Shankar KL Rahul, and Dinesh Karthik to name some. Emphasizing on his commitments towards the team Iyer said “I will tirelessly repeat it to provide that balance in the middle order, whenever I represent India,” said Shreyas.
The Approach
Shreyas Iyer has had a rollicking last 12 months having won the Ranji Trophy followed by leading KKR to its third IPL title with the latest feather in the cap being India’s Champions Trophy win in Dubai with Iyer being India’s highest run scorer with 243 runs. Talking about how he approaches his role as captain Shreyas said “I prefer not to over-think and complicate my current process. For now, I am living in the moment to fulfill my roles and responsibilities with Punjab Kings.”