‘Those who haven’t faced 150 KPH delivery…’ – Shreyas Iyer hits out at critics over constant questions about his technique against short-ball

Indian batter Shreyas Iyer is set to make his return to international cricket when the Men in Blue take on England in a three-match ODI series. The 30-year-old’s last match for India was during the Sri Lankan tour, after which he was dropped from the side. One of the reasons being touted was Shreyas Iyer’s difficulties while facing the short-pitched deliveries. 

During his chat with the Indian Express Idea Exchange program, the 30-year-old batter hit out at his critics and said, “It’s irritating, especially when it comes from people who haven’t faced 150 km per hour delivery, advising you to play in a particular way. But I would say it is their opinion. They have all the right to talk, but they can talk between themselves, not to the player directly." 

Iyer has been in great form in the fifty-over format for Mumbai during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The batter played five matches and scored 325 runs with two centuries and was dismissed just twice. His best of 137 not out came against Puducherry, while his other century (114*) came against Karnataka in the season opening game. 

Shreyas Iyer looking to work on his game against short-balls

During the same event, a 30-year-old Indian batter said that he was working hard on his deficiencies. Iyer said, “Yes, I have seen a lot of videos on YouTube on how you basically get the shoulder and hip separation. That has helped me a lot in terms of power hitting. It plays a vital role, especially in T20s where you switch your gears and try to accelerate at any given point."

When asked to name his favourite during the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 30-year-old said, “The 82 against Sri Lanka. Because there was a lot of talk about dropping me from the squad and that I’m not providing much for the team. Even though I had scored a 50 against Pakistan, there was some talk, which put me in a helter-skelter situation. That talk boosted my instincts from within.”

India’s ace batter then ended by saying, “I wanted to just give my 110 percent. And in that game, I decided that I would just back my instincts and go full throttle. No looking back. I’m impressed by the way I played in that game. I became my own fan after that. It was a game-changing innings, especially in the World Cup."