Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Shreyas Iyer, applauding the batter’s outstanding performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026. Iyer, who is leading Punjab Kings this season, has been in exceptional touch with the bat, playing a crucial role in his team’s unbeaten run so far. So far, Iyer has amassed 203 runs in four innings. Meanwhile, Ashiwn also touched upon Iyer's potential inclusion in India's T20I side, suggesting Iyer’s current form makes a strong case for his return to the Indian team.
"The audacity with which he is going about 200-220 chases is exceptional. At this point of time, if he's not going to find higher honors, it's not his loss anymore. It's ours that we can't see him performing for the Indian team in national colors. Very similar to Rajat [Patidar], but I just feel Shreyas is in a zone of his own. Rajat is exceptional, great spin hitter, but I just feel Shreyas is a couple of notches higher,” Ashwin told ESPNcricinfo.
Ashwin also talked about the ways as to how Iyer can make the cut for India's T20I side.
"When somebody has to be there in the team, write their name down. Just need to pick 15 - best 15 names possible. Don't worry about who is missing out. In the case of Yashasvi Jaiswal for that matter, the guy is an absolute monster. His hunger for runs is exceptional. Is he good enough to be written down for a list that is being prepared for an India T20I side? For sure. So, you write it down in that order and not worry about who you are replacing and then figure out who's going to be a standby,” Ashwin said.