How A Home Session With Abhishek Nayar Helped Shreyas Iyer End The Wait For His Maiden T20I Ton

Shreyas Iyer ended a 67-match wait for his maiden T20 International hundred after a near two-hour troubleshooting session at home with former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar helped him fix technical issues, AP reported.

Iyer smashed 102 not out off 43 balls with 10 fours and six sixes as India beat West Indies by eight wickets in the first T20I in Lucknow on Tuesday. The session came after Iyer spotted flaws in his batting during India’s gold-winning run at the recent Asian Games.

Technique And Timing

During the recent Asian Games, Iyer felt he was not getting enough force into his hitting and was not as sure of clearing the boundary.

“One of the things he was feeling at the end of the Asian Games was something to do with his technique, where he felt he wouldn't generate as much force while hitting and just the thought process of not being able to clear the boundary,” Nayar said.

“The discussion quickly turned specific. He just felt it was certain — because we have worked and been together for so long — it was more a very technical and a tactical thing. We did a bit of work on his grip and his movements that he speaks about getting flow and momentum into his batting. And then obviously a bit of tactical nuances as to how he can overcome certain bowlers and stuff,” Nayar said.

Nayar said the work was as much about feel as mechanics. “So it was more just a couple of hours of sitting and talking and making sure he feels really good of his initial movement and before the ball is bowled, the feel of being able to hit the ball,” Nayar said.

Iyer echoed that view in a BCCI video. “I had a brief interaction with Abhishek Nayar in that period where we were talking about cricket. I think that conversation with him helped me a lot in the performance (vs WI),” Iyer said in a video shared by BCCI.

He then explained what changed at the crease. “The key that I observed in my batting was setting myself before the delivery of the ball, and that worked perfectly. So, creating that momentum and rhythm was essential at the start of the innings, and it worked out pretty well,” Iyer said.

Three Key Adjustments

Three points drove the session. Nayar said the meeting happened at Iyer’s home because the batter had just returned from Japan and had another flight to catch.

“… because he had just travelled (back from Japan) and had to catch a flight after that. So, it only made sense for me to go to his place,” Nayar said.

The work itself was basic but direct. “In a lot of ways, a bit of change in the grip in technical terms, getting his initial movement right and tactically how to overcome bowlers,” he said.

Nayar then spelt out the full set. “… those are the three things we addressed along with the normal cricket and mindset discussion that you have in general,” Nayar said.

Even he did not expect the payoff to come this fast. “Obviously, I didn't expect it to turn out so well, but all credit to him for being able to deliver it and follow through on it,” Nayar said.

Practice mattered too. “You can't talk and get this right. You obviously have to demo it. So, we did that when we met, just so that he understands the feeling of doing it because you can't make technical changes without actually practising it,” he said.

Past Partnership

The link is long-standing. Iyer has worked with Nayar in Mumbai domestic cricket, at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and in the national team setup.

That history shaped the latest fix. “In the recent past, a lot of our discussions have always been very tactical and it's always been about how we can overcome certain situations,” Nayar said.

This time was different. “But I just felt, it's been a while since he's actually had a technical difficulty. To think about it in regards to performance, that's not how we were trying to address it. It was just about bringing him, bringing that feedback as to how we can actually clear the boundary rope and have the confidence before you play that,” he said.

Nayar made the point more plainly. “It's not that he doesn't have the ability. For a cricketer, the important thing is feeling before the ball is bowled that he can tonk it out of the park, and then, whether or not it happens is a completely different story,” Nayar said.

He returned to the Asian Games concern. “It was just about giving him that feeling and that's the kind of cricketer he is. Because we've been together for so long, just understanding makes it easier for me to help him and for him to understand what I'm trying to say,” he said.

The specific issue, Nayar said, was power through the swing. “A lot of what happened in the Asian Games for him, where he just felt like he couldn't generate the kind of force he wanted while he was trying to hit the ball, and he felt his bat-swing wasn't as clean as it has been in the past,” Nayar said.

Now the focus shifts to the next stop. Nayar said Iyer will travel to Ranchi from Lucknow and urged him to stay with the same method rather than chase the next score.

“He is going to go to Ranchi from Lucknow, which may or may not be a very different pitch. I'm just happy that things turned out the way it did because an international hundred is always special,” Nayar said.

“You just don't want to follow that up by saying, I want to score another. You want to follow that up by saying, I want to try and focus on the same process and hopefully the results deliver,” Nayar said.