IPL 2026 PBKS vs LSG | Shreyas Iyer has overcome his weaknesses, feels Hopes

Punjab Kings fast bowling coach James Hopes, who has had a long association with Shreyas Iyer in the IPL, believes the key to the India batter’s recent success is his ability to identify his shortcomings.

“He is very aware of what his perceived weaknesses were over the years, and he comes into this season having nailed them… Once he finds his way back into the Indian team, you will see the batter he is going to be for the rest of his career. A world-class short-format batter and someone who could fit into long-format cricket pretty easily,” Hopes, who has also spent three years with Shreyas as a coach at Delhi Capitals, said.

The former Australian all-rounder also hailed his captaincy, under which PBKS reached the final last year. “From a captaincy viewpoint, he has got a lot of experience. He was very young when he was captaining Delhi, and he is more experienced; he is very well planned, and he still follows his gut. When he is with the team, he is also one of the boys; he really endears himself to the group.”