Shreyas Iyer and the Courage to Change

Shreyas Iyer registered his maiden T20I century in the first T20I between India and West Indies in Lucknow. After West Indies posted 171, Shreyas smashed an unbeaten 102 runs off 43 deliveries in the chase. India were in a spot of bother after losing both the openers inside the powerplay. India were 35/2 when Shreyas came to the crease. He and Ishan Kishan stitched a match winning partnership of 137 runs and guided India to victory with 32 balls to spare.

After the game, Shreyas Iyer revealed in the video released by BCCI that a conversation with Abhishek Nayar had helped him to rediscover his rhythm. By the end of the Asian games Shreyas felt that he was struggling to generate power through his shots. Abhishek Nayar insisted he make some tweaks to his grip and movements to get a better flow to his batting.

But this isn’t the first time Shreyas has altered his technique. There have been multiple occasions where we have seen a different version of Shreyas when it comes to batting style, stance, grip and movements. One of the most significant changes came in response to opposition bowlers repeatedly targeting him with short-pitched deliveries.

The interesting part is this evolution is not just limited to pacers. His stance and movements against spin have also changed considerably over the years.

A more pronounced change emerged after 2024, as he adjusted his technique to give himself a better chance of scoring against short-pitched deliveries and the results were striking. He had his best IPL season in 2025, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.3 and strike rate of 175. He followed it up with another strong season in 2026, which eventually helped him make a comeback in India’s T20I side.

As a result of those changes in the last 2 IPL seasons against short-pitched (10m+) deliveries he scored 141 runs at an average of 70.5 and a strike rate of 224.

Beyond these technical adjustments, two aspects of Shreyas’ game stood out in 2025: his ability to pace a chase and his improved scoring off the backfoot against spin.

The Art of Chasing

Pacing an innings in a chase is an art in itself and Shreyas has demonstrated that on numerous occasions. His innings wise record since 2026 further illustrates the difference between his performances in first and second innings.

Since 2026 whenever Shreyas has managed to score more than 30 runs in a chase, his team has gone on to win the match every single time.

A successful chase requires a batter to pace his innings according to the demands of the required run rate. Iyer’s innings building pattern suggests that he prefers to settle in before shifting gears. Since 2025, his strike rate over his first 20 balls has been around 130, before rising to 243 after he has faced more than 30 deliveries.

This gradual acceleration allows him to balance the need to assess conditions early with the urgency to score quickly later in the innings.

Improved Backfoot Game vs Spin in 2026

Shreyas Iyer has been regarded as a strong player of spin. The notable difference between IPL 2025 and 2026 has been his improved ability to score off the backfoot. In IPL 2025, his strike rate while playing on backfoot was 110 compared to 152 in 2026. Balls per Boundary in IPL 2025 on backfoot was 19.5 compared to just 6.2 in 2026.

Together this adds a different dimension to his already established game against spin.

Conclusion

Shreyas Iyer's recent performances tell a story that goes beyond a century or a productive IPL season. From altering his stance and movements against short-pitched bowling to improving his backfoot scoring against spin, he has continued to add new dimensions to his game. His ability to build an inning before accelerating has also made him a formidable chaser among modern day T20 batters.

What stands out is not simply that Shreyas has changed his technique, but that he has been willing to change it when he feels something is missing. For a batter who has already established himself at the international stage, revisiting those fundamentals requires both self-awareness and a willingness to evolve himself. His evolution is a reminder that technical excellence is not always about finding one perfect method. Sometimes, it is about continuously finding ways to get better.