IPL 2026: ‘His presence is terrifying bowlers’ - R. Ashwin backs Shreyas Iyer’s T20I return amid stellar form

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer is in terrific form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, carrying forward his momentum from the previous edition. Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Iyer for a place in India’s T20I side, stating that he deserves selection regardless of whom he replaces in the lineup.

Iyer has been in sublime touch, scoring three consecutive half-centuries in his last three innings. His aggressive approach is reflected in his impressive strike rate of 187.96 so far in IPL 2026, making him one of the standout performers of the season.

"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. 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,” said Ashwin on ESPNcricinfo. "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,” he added.

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Ashwin added that Iyer’s presence at the crease is currently intimidating bowlers, highlighting his remarkable hunger for runs. He praised Iyer’s batting intent, calling his appetite for scoring sensational. Ashwin also noted that Iyer is on a significant journey in his career, particularly pointing out how he has worked on and improved his ability to handle short-pitched deliveries, now turning them into scoring opportunities for big runs.

"His sheer presence [at the crease] is terrifying the bowlers in many ways. 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,” said Ashwin. "And that journey is what I suggest as good to great. I personally think Shreyas has embarked on the journey of going from being good to being great. And I'm not saying he is great. I'm saying it's a journey. It has been said that he can't play the short ball. He said, 'okay, I'll pull the short ball in a Test match and get out, but I'm not shying away from the contest'. Pulling Jasprit Bumrah front of square over midwicket for a six. That's probably inspirational to a lot of cricketers watching the game. And then he is hitting fast bowlers down the ground. He has always been very good hitting it down the ground. But why is he doing it? Because people are not bowling short to him anymore. They know he is putting it away. And that's sensational,” he added.

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Ashwin also argued that Iyer’s batting form has positively influenced his captaincy. Under his leadership, PBKS reached the final in the 2025 season and have continued their strong run in IPL 2026. At this stage of the tournament, PBKS sit at the top of the points table with four wins from five matches, along with one washout.