[CRK]

R Ashwin: Shreyas Iyer on a Journey from Good to Great

Shreyas Iyer is “in the zone” and it’s showing in his form and in the results Punjab Kings (PBKS) have notched up, both in IPL 2025 and in IPL 2026 so far, R Ashwin has said.

He also suggested that Iyer should be in India’s T20I team whether or not it’s clear who he should be replacing.

Iyer’s Exceptional Form

“I’m not just looking at the runs being made, the volume of it, or the sixes or the fours, but just the sheer presence on the ground. And that tells you a story,” Ashwin said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut programme.

“When Shreyas Iyer is just marking his guard – every single time and for the last five games in this edition – it just looks like he’s in a zone that’s probably not conceivable for people who have not seen the game in the same way [as cricketers]. It’s called a zone. You get into phases in your career where you almost feel like [for] a year or two, you don’t put a foot wrong.

“And that happens because you’re in a zone. Everything is ticking. Starting from what you’re eating, when you’re sleeping, how you’re practicing. You hit a ball in the nets and you get the same ball when you play the first one and the next.”

Iyer’s Batting Stats

Iyer has scored 50, 69* and 66 in his last three innings and has an overall strike rate of 187.96 in IPL 2026 at the moment.

Leadership Qualities

“His sheer presence [at the crease] is terrifying the bowlers in many ways,” Ashwin said. “And how has he done that? His appetite to be able to upskill himself is sensational.

“I’ve played cricket for quite an amount of time. I’ve interacted with a lot of cricketers. Not many have the appetite to be able to leave what they’re good at and explore areas where they’re weak. You would have seen a lot of careers pan out where people have not worked on their weaknesses at all.

Should Shreyas Iyer be in India’s T20I side?

Ashwin argued that Iyer should be in India’s T20I team, citing his exceptional batting skills and leadership qualities.

“I can only say one thing. At this point of time, if he is not going to find higher honours, it’s not his loss anymore,” Ashwin said. “It’s ours that we can’t see him do what he is doing [for PBKS] for the Indian team, in national colours.

“Look, I look at it slightly differently. When somebody has to be there in the team, write their name down. You just need to pick 15. Write the best 15 names possible. Don’t worry about who is missing out.