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PBKS under Shreyas Iyer are leading the IPL 2026 points table at the moment with six wins, a loss and one no-result in eight games. They made it to the final last year and will now look to do better. Shreyas himself has had a good tournament with 309 runs in seven innings at an average of 61.80 and strike rate of 174.58. But there was a time when he was taunted about not being able to play the short ball, something he has mastered now.

Speaking on JioStar's 'Believe', Shreyas said such taunts triggered him to 'prove people wrong' and do better as a player. He said that people put him down when he was injured and it only motivated him further to come back. Shreyas said that he could not accept the taunts and pushed himself harder as a result.

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"I have people a Short round me who say that in this situation, you can't do it. It's impossible. I don't like hearing that. As a cricketer playing at the highest level, I just can't accept it. Then in my mind, I decide that I have to prove them wrong. The challenge becomes: 'I was in this situation, how can I come back stronger?' I push myself harder and try to return as soon as possible to prove them wrong. That thought keeps driving me, especially after injuries," he said.

"When I had my back injury, some people said I would never be the same again. I asked myself, why can't I be? The way you shape your mindset after an injury is important. You choose what to focus on and what to ignore," he added.

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"People said I would never fix my short-ball problem. That triggered me. I wanted to prove them wrong by performing well, so I worked hard on it. Earlier, I would just take a single or try to keep the ball down, but now my mindset has changed. If I see a short ball in my zone, I am going to hit it for a six. I work with Pravin Amre; I have been with him since I was young. I also talk to coaches like Abhishek Nayar. We share ideas," he continued.

"During my batting practice, I now try to play around 50 overs and face over 300 balls. That helps me understand what works for me. I don't follow a fixed pattern. I give myself more time in the middle and face real bowlers, not just sidearm throws. The more I face bowlers, the clearer my movement becomes. I focus on creating a rhythm. Just before the bowler delivers, I try to get into my position quickly. That creates a flow. You must have seen AB de Villiers do that. Even Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have that rhythm before playing their shots. I try to do the same," he went on to say.