Shreyas Iyer explains the secret behind his bizarre batting stance

During his time away from the Test and T20I squads, Indian ODI vice-captain focused on refining his technique to cope with bounce.

Shreyas Iyer has credited a return to a more upright batting stance for helping him better tackle extra bounce, a challenge he faced during the ODI series in Australia. This “new-old” stance, which he had used earlier in his domestic career, has been applied against Australia A and now in India’s international matches. In the second ODI at Adelaide, Iyer skillfully navigated a tricky seaming pitch, scoring 61 off 77 balls while the rest of the batting line-up struggled.

 

Adapting to Short-Pitched Bowling

 

Iyer’s ability to handle short-pitched deliveries at high speed has long been a topic of discussion. During his time away from the Test and T20I squads, he focused on refining his technique to cope with bounce. “Since last year, I wanted to have an upright stance [for conditions] where the bounce is a little bit more than expected,” he said.

 

 

He added, “And based on that, I worked with my coach and we developed this new technique, and it was kind of suiting me pretty well. And the way I grew up playing, it was very much that I predominantly had an upright stance, and I just was like, 'Let's go back to my old technique and see how it, you know, [holds] up.' So, yeah, I backed myself and then, from there on, I started [trying the technique] in the domestic [games]... Till now, I've been continuing with the same stance.” 

 

Overcoming Physical Challenges

 

Back injuries in the past had prompted Iyer to modify his stance. “Even in Mumbai, when we play on red-soil wickets – where the bounce is a little bit extra than expected – I think it helps with the upright stance,” he explained. He also highlighted the importance of adapting to different conditions: “And yeah, you've got to keep chopping and changing every now and then, because you don't play on the same wickets [all the time]. Whatever the wicket demands, you've got to change your stance accordingly, and I think I've changed so many stances [that] I'm able to adapt anywhere at the moment.”

 

Focus on Limited-Overs Cricket

 

Iyer last represented India during the undefeated Champions Trophy campaign in the UAE in March. Since then, he has participated in the IPL, played two first-class matches, and captained India A in a three-match ODI series against Australia A. During this period, he realized that his body currently struggles to meet the physical demands of red-ball cricket, prompting a six-month break request from the BCCI.

 

“When I played red-ball cricket after the IPL, I realised that if I field for long spells on the ground, my intensity starts to go down. And the intensity that you need to maintain in international cricket, I wasn't able to match up to it. In ODIs, you know you will get rest after one day and be able to recover. Not in Tests. That is why I made that call, and conveyed that message,” Iyer said.