02-06-2025
IPL 2025: How Shreyas Iyer used Jasprit Bumrah's greatest weapon against him to guide Punjab Kings to the final
With Punjab Kings needing 31 runs off three overs, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya turned to Jasprit Bumrah.
'It's very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah),' Pandya had said after the pacer shut the door on Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator on Friday. On Sunday, Bumrah needed to do it all over again in Qualifier II for his team to head into the final. This time against an inspired Shreyas Iyer, who looked unstoppable on the night, delivering punches after punches, seemingly unperturbed by the occasion.
On his second delivery, Bumrah delivered a yorker that looked every bit unplayable from the moment it came out of his hand and headed towards the middle stump. Those milliseconds are too short for most batsmen to devise a method to survive.
Shreyas, though, had picked it early. He was probably expecting it and despite having a high backlift, didn't just manage to keep the pinpoint yorker out, but also had the audacity to open the face of the bat at the last moment to guide it past the short third-man fielder and to the boundary.
Shreyas Iyer vs Jasprit Bumrah (10 Years Challenge)
— Professor Sahab (@ProfesorSahab) June 2, 2025
Bumrah saw it, turned back in a rush, and signalled the long-on fielder to come in. This wasn't a stroke of luck. In the previous over, standing at short third-man, Bumrah had seen Shreyas convert two yorkers into boundaries by just opening the face of the bat. But that boundary off his own bowling was the pick of the lot, which AB de Villiers would call the shot of the tournament.
That shot did more damage on the night than Mumbai Indians would have imagined. On the next four deliveries, Bumrah would attempt to bowl three more yorkers, but not once could he execute perfectly. And just like that, Punjab ticked off 40 priceless runs off Bumrah's four overs.
Once Bumrah couldn't dislodge Shreyas, there was no stopping the Punjab captain from finishing the chase with an over to spare.
'It all comes to his great positioning and balance,' former India batsman Pravin Amre, who has been working with Shreyas as a personal mentor, tells The Indian Express. Batsmen managing to score boundaries off yorker-length balls isn't new. But it is special in Shreyas's case, as he has a high backlift, which means he has less time to react than some other batsmen.
'When we wanted to change a few aspects, the high backlift was non-negotiable. He is a middle-order batsman, who mostly bats after the Powerplay. So to be effective in those overs, you need to have a good bat-swing. Having a high backlift helps get a good swing of the bat as well. If you look at this season, what stands out is how good his bat-swing is,' Amre says of the adjustment that Shreyas has made to his game over the past 12 months.
With such a back-lift, Amre says, the shot that Shreyas employed against Boult, and in particular against Bumrah, becomes a safe bet. 'As a middle-order batsman, he isn't going to face as many yorkers as the ones who come later. But you can't overlook it as well. And he is a batsman who doesn't play the scoops or paddle. So we kept it simple. When he brings down the bat vertically, he also has the option to open the face and that's what he did,' Amre says.
If Shreyas had to often play second-fiddle to the top order last season at Kolkata Knight Riders, this year with Punjab, he has had to shoulder more responsibility. In a batting line-up that doesn't boast of big-name overseas players, he is their enforcer who has shown them how to play. From the very first outing, Punjab head coach Ricky Ponting had revealed how he was able to see a different version of Shreyas, where his confidence has stood out.
It has reflected in his batting right through, as he now has over 600 runs for the first time in an IPL season. The most striking difference is the enormous jump in his strike rate, which stands at 175.80, nearly 42 more than his IPL career strike rate of 133.40. Having managed only 30 sixes in his last three seasons, this edition he has hit 39, signalling a clear change in intent.
'The high back-lift to go with his bat-swing has made all the difference. When you are batting at No 4, with fielders outside the ring, to clear boundaries, you need to have the bat-swing that generates distance. You are predominantly facing spinners and when the pacers are operating, they tend to hit a hard length. Against such deliveries, a high back-lift becomes vital,' Amre adds.
In the last 12 months, one other area where Shreyas has improved is against short-pitched deliveries. Even Ponting, while acknowledging he had no role to play in it, pointed out how Shreyas is getting into good positions to play the short ball. In the past, when pacers troubled him with short balls, he showed a preference to move towards the leg-side to create room or not remain static. But in recent months, Shreyas doesn't move around, and has even managed to pull deliveries angled into his body.
'Right now, the balance of his body is intact. He has realised the importance of it and the need to have a strong base. When you have that, you have multiple options to handle the short ball. You can hit on the off-side by playing an upper-cut (a shot Shreyas has frequently played over the last 12 months) or bring out the pull. When your body is in balance, you can open these options and full credit to him to figure it out his own way,' Amre says.
Now, after guiding KKR to glory last season, Shreyas is on the cusp of repeating the feat with Punjab, still without a title for 18 seasons. Whether he manages to achieve it or not, this season could well be the one that opens the national T20 team door for Shreyas.
