England Great Kevin Pietersen Advises Shreyas Iyer To Focus More On His Off-Side Batting

Former England great Kevin Pietersen thinks Shreyas Iyer needs to focus on his off-side batting. While speaking on Star Sports Select Dug Out, the 39-year-old also opined that there are drills which can be performed and added that these drills will help the youngster.

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“Shreyas Iyer needs to focus more on his off-side batting and he needs to spend more time on the nets, get more practice to hit at extra cover, take his left pad off and focus on hitting through the line on the off-side. There are drills which you need to practise as a youngster and this will help him as the bowler will then eventually not bowl to him outside the off stump. He will then be able to play a lot straighter which will be a lot more comfortable for him,” he said.

In his short international career so far, Iyer has shown early promise and looks likely to keep his place. On the road to World Cup 2019, Iyer was a part of the squad on occasions but hardly got a consistent run. By 2019, selectors dropped him but drafted Iyer back in the side once the 50-over tournament was over.

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The team management has also backed Iyer to be team India’s number four in white-ball cricket and he has played mostly on number four. He hasn’t played at that position in ODIs so far but is likely to be given that slot against West Indies.

For now, Iyer will hope to be back his number four spot in T20Is. He batted at number five in opening T20I and was pushed to number six in the second T20I.

The right-handed batsman has waited long for a place in the middle-order and after a defeat in the second T20I, Team India is unlikely to tinker with the original batting order, which means early batting for Iyer

The home team won its opening T20I chasing 208 but lost the second game defending 171. The third and the final T20I will be played in Mumbai on Wednesday at Wankhede Stadium, Iyer’s home ground.

A win for India will see them win second T20I series against West Indies in 2019 while a defeat will see West Indies register their maiden series-win over Men in Blue (series consisting at least three T20Is).