Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has showered praise on Shreyas Iyer for his consistent performances in the ongoing IPL 2026. Ashwin said the PBKS skipper has embarked on the journey from going good to great and his hunger to improve his game is sensational.
Iyer has led PBKS from the front, scoring 211 runs in five innings of IPL 2026 at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 182.46. PBKS is the only unbeaten team in the ongoing season and a lot of credit for the team’s success goes to their captain.
The Mumbai batter had scored 604 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on ESPN Cricinfo, “When it comes to Shreyas, just his sheer presence on the ground tells the story. When Shreyas is marking his guard, he looks in a zone that is probably not conceivable for people like us. His appetite to upskill himself is sensational. Shreyas has embarked on the journey of going from good to great. I am not saying he is great.
“From someone who’s being said that he can’t play the short ball to pulling Jasprit Bumrah front of square for a six, that’s probably inspirational to a lot of cricketers,” Ashwin went on to add.
On the other hand, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has also performed consistently. The right-hander has scored 230 runs in six matches of IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 212.96. Ashwin said Patidar not been able to get into India’s T20I team shows the richness of the team’s batting talent.
“Rajat Patidar has a bit to balance. He’s the winning captain of the previous edition of the IPL. Probably 6-7 years ago, that alone would be enough to get into the Indian team. The fact that he’s not been able to get into the Indian team can be debated, but it’s also suggesting the richness of India’s batting talent.
“Rajat Patidar, the captain, had a very good season [last year]. Patidar, the batter, is having a wonderful season this time. He’s putting his mark on the IPL not just as a leader, but also as a batter. I probably think he is the best spin-hitter going around along with Shreyas Iyer,” the former India cricketer concluded.
RCB will next take on Gujarat Titans at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Friday.
