Former India player Aakash Chopra has applauded Shreyas Iyer for scoring a match-winning half-century in the Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) IPL 2025 match against the Gujarat Titans (GT). He shared that the PBKS captain has altered his technique slightly, which has enabled him to hit short balls for sixes as well. However, Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 97 off 42 deliveries as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “We were saying Shreyas Iyer, the captain, will keep getting better if Shreyas Iyer, the batter, does well. He came to bat at No. 3. I think that’s the right number. He should bat there only. The form he has been carrying in 2025, he just continued in the same rich vein of form. He has made a slight change in his batting. He has opened his stance slightly. The access to midwicket, long-on, and square leg has become incredible. He doesn’t get stuck anymore against the short ball. He hits sixes over long-on and cover against short balls.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also commented on Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 97 in Tuesday’s game was as good as a hundred.

“He remained unbeaten on 97, but it was no less than a century. I think Mohammad Kaif was there with us on commentary, and he said Shashank Singh should take a single and bring the captain on strike, and I can understand why he would have said that. However, he (Shreyas) said, ‘No, every ball needs to be maximized. So if you are going at a strike rate of 260, continue, I doesn’t want to score a hundred.’ He has never scored a hundred in the IPL, but it will be scored sometime or other. It just tells you about the selfless nature, and that speaks volumes about what Punjab Kings really stands for now.”