IND vs SA: Shreyas Iyer Slams A Journalist For Short-Ball Question, Blames Media For Creating Outside Noise

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has strongly disagreed with claims that he struggles against the short ball in the ICC World Cup 2023. Shreyas Iyer suggested that the media has contributed to the narrative that he struggles with short balls, creating a false perception.

The Rohit Sharma-led team registered a mammoth 302-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 2. Shreyas Iyer smashed a brilliant half-century as the Indian team posted a total of 357/8 in the allotted 50 overs.

During a post-match press conference, a journalist asked Shreyas Iyer about his struggles with short balls throughout the World Cup. In response, the middle-order batter strongly denied facing any issues with short deliveries.

“When you say it’s a problem for me, what do you mean?” Shreyas Iyer asked.

he is not accepting his weakness that’s why the problem.pic.twitter.com/2G9nKBBHNm

— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) November 2, 2023

That Have Gone Four Four – Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer highlighted that his performance should not be judged based on one type of delivery. He mentioned that he had successfully played pull shots and stated that players can get out to any type of delivery, not just short balls.

“Troubled me? Have you seen how many pull shots I’ve scored, especially that have gone for four? If you’re trying to hit a ball, you’re bound to get out anyway, irrespective of if it’s a short ball, if it’s overpitched. If I get bowled two or three times, you all would say, ‘he can’t play an in-swinging ball, he can’t play a cut if the ball is seaming’.”

“We as players, we are bound to get out on any sort of deliveries. You guys have created that mahaul [atmosphere] outside that ‘he can’t play a short ball’, and I feel that people are picking that up every now and then and it plays on your [the media’s] mind regularly, and you keep working on that,” he added.

I Know How To Tackle It – Shreyas Iyer

The 28-year-old highlighted that he knows how to handle short balls as he is from Mumbai, especially the Wankhede pitch with the consistent bounce. He mentioned that the perception of struggling with short balls might be due to occasional failures.

“Coming from Mumbai, especially from Wankhede where the bounce is pretty much even, here it bounces way more than any other pitches. I’ve played the majority of my games here, so I know how to tackle it. It’s just that when I go to hit some shots you are bound to get out,” Iyer further stated.

“Sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not, and majority of the times it hasn’t worked for me, maybe that’s the reason you think it’s a problem for me, but in my mind I know there’s no problem,” he concluded.

Also read: IND vs SL: Watch: Shreyas Iyer Smashes A Monstrous 106-M Six At Wankhede Stadium