India, May 2 -- After many questioned whether Shreyas Iyer was worth the INR 26.75 crore Punjab Kings shelled out for him in the IPL 2025 auction. With 360 runs at a strike-rate of over 180, Iyer has buried his critics for the time being, as he captains Punjab Kings towards a first playoff appearance in 11 years.

The strike-rate in particular is a vast improvement for Iyer, who acted as an accumulator and an anchor for much of his young career in the IPL, with a sub-130 strike rate. This is a very different Iyer, capable of shifting through the gears at ease and dominating bowling with attacking strokeplay.

Ricky Ponting, his head coach at PBKS under whom he also played at Delhi Capitals, explained the technical changes behind Iyer's ne...