R Ashwin believes Shreyas Iyer is “in the zone” right now, and that his current impact is already being reflected in Punjab Kings’ momentum in both IPL 2025 and IPL 2026. The veteran off-spinner also argued that Iyer’s form should put him in India’s T20I plans, regardless of the uncertainty around who his inclusion would displace.
Iyer’s “zone” and what Ashwin is seeing
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut programme, Ashwin said he is not only tracking output like runs, boundaries, or six-hitting, but also the way Iyer looks at the crease. He pointed to the confidence and consistency in the smallest details as an indicator of a batter operating at a high level.
“I’m not just looking at the runs being made, the volume of it, or the sixes or the fours, but the sheer presence on the field,” Ashwin said. “That tells a story.”
He highlighted Iyer’s routine and concentration, describing how the batter appears settled when he is setting himself before deliveries. Ashwin said that for the past five matches in the current season, Iyer’s marking of his guard has looked like a repeatable process, suggesting a period of form that is difficult to replicate without being fully in control.
“When Shreyas Iyer is just marking his guard—every single time and for the last five games in this edition—it looks like he’s in a zone that most people won’t understand unless they’ve watched cricket the way we do,” Ashwin added. “There are phases in your career where for a year or two you almost don’t put a foot wrong, because everything is ticking.”
Ashwin then expanded on the idea that great batting stretches are built off more than match-day execution. He suggested that preparation, including routine and practice habits, can feed directly into performance. In his view, when a batter trains in a way that produces predictable outcomes in the nets, the same rhythm often carries over to the first ball faced in a match.
“That happens because you’re in a zone,” Ashwin said. “Everything is working—starting from what you’re eating, when you’re sleeping, and 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.”
Recent numbers in IPL 2026
Ashwin’s assessment is backed by Iyer’s recent run of batting. In his last three innings, the India batter has scored 50, 69* and 66. Overall, Iyer’s strike rate in IPL 2026 stands at 187.96 at the moment.
How Ashwin says Iyer is unsettling bowling plans
Ashwin described Iyer’s impact as “terrifying the bowlers” with his presence. He credited Iyer’s willingness to keep improving, arguing that many players stick to the parts of their game they already dominate, rather than working on weaknesses.
“His sheer presence at the crease is terrifying the bowlers in many ways,” Ashwin said. “And how has he done that? His appetite to upskill himself is sensational.”
He said that not many cricketers have the drive to move away from comfort zones and explore areas where they are less strong. In Ashwin’s opinion, Iyer’s development has followed a path from “good to great,” including confronting criticisms about his limitations rather than avoiding them.
“I personally think Shreyas has embarked on the journey of going from being good to being great,” Ashwin said. “I’m not saying he is great—I’m saying it’s a journey.”
Ashwin referenced claims that Iyer struggles with the short ball, and said Iyer has responded by taking on that challenge in match situations. He pointed to Iyer pulling the short delivery in a Test setting, keeping the contest active rather than shrinking from it.
As examples, Ashwin cited Iyer’s ability to pull Jasprit Bumrah past square over midwicket for a six, describing it as an inspirational blueprint for players watching. He also mentioned that Iyer is hitting fast bowlers down the ground, but suggested the reason is not just technical skill—it’s also that opponents have stopped offering the same bowling lengths and strategies they used to.
“He is hitting fast bowlers down the ground,” Ashwin said. “He has always been very good at it. 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.”
Form with the bat feeding leadership
Ashwin argued that Iyer’s batting form has been linked to his captaincy as well. He noted that Punjab Kings reached the final of the IPL in 2025, and that the franchise are currently top of the standings in IPL 2026 with four wins from five matches—along with one washout—at this stage of the tournament.
He said Iyer’s influence extends beyond tactical decisions, creating a comfortable environment inside the dressing room. Ashwin described it as a “brotherhood” where the captain can hold straightforward conversations and players feel able to communicate.
“Just the comfort that he is creating around the team, to say, we will have a brotherly conversation. It’s a brotherhood here,” Ashwin said. “At the end of the day, I have played in teams where there is always that layer that you can’t go up to the captain or the coach and say, ‘I will deliver this for you.’ And it’s happened.”
Ashwin added that Iyer keeps leadership simple, similar to how conversations happen in everyday settings—whether that is street-level cricket or games played with a tennis ball. In his view, that makes the atmosphere “amazing.”
“He is growing into the role of being a leader,” Ashwin said. “And I think the way he is batting, he is growing into the role of a leader that the players are looking up to. Which is a lethal combination.”
Should Shreyas Iyer be in India’s T20I squad?
Ashwin also addressed the ongoing debate around Iyer’s place in India’s T20I team. He noted that the national side has won back-to-back T20 World Cups without Iyer, with one argument against his selection being the claim that there is no clear role player he could replace.
However, Ashwin pushed back on that framing, saying that if Iyer continues to perform at the level he is showing for Punjab Kings, then his absence would be a loss for India—not for the player.
“I can only say one thing. At this point of time, if he is not going to find higher honours, it’s not his loss anymore,” Ashwin said. “It’s ours that we can’t see him do what he is doing for the Indian team, in national colours.”
He said selection should begin with identifying the best available combination of 15 players rather than focusing first on who might be left out. In that approach, Iyer’s name should be written down if he meets the standard.
“When somebody has to be there in the team, write their name down,” Ashwin said. “You just need to pick 15. Write the best 15 names possible. Don’t worry about who is missing out.”
To illustrate the point, Ashwin referred to Yashasvi Jaiswal, whom he has praised in the past for his scoring hunger. He described Jaiswal as a batter with exceptional drive and added that India’s depth is a sign of the strength of domestic cricket.
From there, Ashwin returned to the main question: whether Iyer is good enough to be considered among the top names for India’s T20I XI. His answer was clear.
“But is he good enough to be written down in a list that is being prepared for an India T20I side? Of course, yes,” Ashwin said. “So you write it down in that order and not worry about who you are replacing and then figure out who is going to be a standby.”
