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Punjab Kings spin coach Sunil Joshi attributed Shreyas Iyer’s remarkable resurgence to his success to a relentless “hunger for challenges”.
IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer with his Punjab Kings teammates (AP)
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer’s remarkable resurgence since the Champions Trophy has drawn praise from the IPL team’s spin coach Sunil Joshi, who has attributed his success to a relentless “hunger for challenges”.
Iyer, who was not retained by Kolkata Knight Riders after leading them to the IPL 2024 title, began the current season with unbeaten knocks of 97 and 52, showcasing his stellar form.
“If you look back at Shreyas’ contribution in the last 8-10 months from the Champions Trophy, playing not only against fast bowling, playing against spin has become more consistent,” Joshi said on the eve of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders here.
“He has shown the hunger and he is ready to accept every challenge he comes across. For any player of that calibre, you accept every challenge, every ball.
“I am sure that he has done some great work behind the scenes. It’s a good momentum to carry forward as a leader as well,” Joshi said.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy, Iyer was the backbone of India’s middle-order, averaging 48.60 with four 40-plus scores in five games, including two fifties.
Since February 2022, Iyer has averaged 53.71 in ODIs and he is also among only six batters to score over 2500 runs since the 2019 World Cup.
Technical tweaks have aided his resurgence. A slightly more open stance now allows him greater access to the on-side and helps counter the short ball more effectively.
Iyer also tends to go deep into his crease, giving himself extra time to execute his strokes.
The Eden Gardens clash marks a return to familiar territory for Iyer, who captained KKR to their first IPL title in a decade, last season.
Joshi acknowledged the leadership qualities Iyer continues to bring, even while talking to net bowlers.
“I think Shreyas is a young leader and if you look at him, he goes to each and every player, not only the squad player, he goes to even the net bowler, talk to them.
“That shows the confidence to each and every member in the team. And this is a great hallmark for a leader to come in future.
“As a genuine leader, when you go and speak to the players, especially the net bowlers, that means he is concerned about them. They are also part of our team. That shows the caring attitude,” Joshi added.
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Asked if Iyer was approaching this game with extra motivation given his past with KKR, Joshi played it down.
“I think it’s as good as the regular game. Every game is an important game. Approach is the same. We need to go out and play good cricket, play to win,” he said.
With the Indian team set to tour England for a high-profile Test series this summer, questions linger about Iyer’s possible return. Joshi, however, chose to speak only on IPL- centric issues.
“I think let’s keep it to the IPL stuff only because I am not the right representative to talk about the Indian team,” he said.
Out-of-favour India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal roared back to form in Punjab’s match against KKR in the first leg, claiming four wickets to skittle out the opponents for 95 while defending 112.
Asked about his revival, the PBKS spin bowling coach said: “Yuzi is the highest wicket-taker (214) in the IPL history. Number one. And the big players, big match players, don’t need to remind them what they are capable of and they can make a difference.
“It’s just the confidence, talking to them and bowling in the right areas which he has shown, he has come back very strong.”
Another bright spot for Punjab Kings this season has been Priyansh Arya, who notched a match-winning century against Chennai Super Kings. Joshi was all praise for the young talent.
“Priyansh Arya is one of the finds of the season for the Kings and for the IPL as well. When we were looking at the domestic talent, that’s when we got to know about his talent while playing for interstate.
“And when he came to the trials for the Kings, that’s when we had our eyes on him. So it’s a good thing that he is in our team. So long way, he is a very good talent. I am sure that in the coming years, he would represent the country.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
