Former India batter and now expert, Wasim Jaffer, praised Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer for his six-hitting ability after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI). The match was played at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 16th. Chasing 196, Shreyas Iyer scored 66 off 35 balls as he struck five fours and four sixes, which enabled PBKS to an easy 7-wicket win with 21 balls to spare.
Speaking after the match, Wasim Jaffer praised Shreyas Iyer’s improved approach against short balls, noting that the right-hander has turned a former weakness into a scoring option. The 48-year-old also applauded the PBKS skipper’s power-hitting ability, and the consistency that he has shown has been applauded by him.
Wasim Jaffer’s massive praise for Shreyas Iyer as a whole
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Wasim Jaffer said:
“You have to really appreciate it because the problem with short balls is that once it gets into your head, you are always ready thinking about it. Then even the short ball becomes a problem, and even the fuller ball starts troubling you. But you know, what he has done is outstanding. Now, if you bowl short balls or bouncers to Shreyas Iyer, he has made them into scoring shots. He has turned his weakness into his strength. And what hitting ability he has. His six-hitting ability is amazing. That power, that strength, and batting at number four is not an easy position. Yet consistently scoring runs there is impressive.”Â
Wasim Jaffer also commended Shreyas Iyer for his leadership, with PBKS remaining the only unbeaten side so far in IPL 2026. He further praised him for his fine effort in the field to dismiss Hardik Pandya. He said,
“This is his third consecutive fifty, and Punjab is currently the only team that has not lost in this tournament. They have chased big targets, so it is very credible the way he’s leading and the way he’s batting. Today in the fielding as well, he took one of the best catches you might have seen. He showed great athleticism.”Â
So far, in four innings, Shreyas Iyer has scored 203 runs at an average of 67.66 and a strike-rate of 187.96, including three half-centuries.
Wasim Jaffer reserves high praise for Prabhsimran Singh.Â
In the same discussion on his YouTube channel, Wasim Jaffer also commended PBKS opener Prabhsimran Singh, who remained unbeaten on 80 off 39 balls, striking 11 fours and two sixes. Jaffer felt that the right-hander expressed himself well and played shots that can bamboozle bowlers.
Wasim Jaffer said,
“An outstanding innings. I always want Prabhsimran Singh to play like this. Today, he expressed himself a bit. He has the ability. When he plays those kinds of shots, he completely bamboozles the bowlers. I’ve even heard bowlers say that when Prabh plays, whether it’s practice matches, nets, or even in innings like these, it feels like, ‘Where do you even bowl to him?’ But we haven’t seen that consistently at the IPL level. Today, he played a bit like that. It was amazing.”Â
The former India opener also observed that Prabhsimran is displaying improved maturity, converting his starts into substantial scores while taking on greater responsibility. He said:
“He has the potential, he has the talent. Even last season, he scored 500 runs, but now it feels like there’s a bit more maturity in this game. The habit he used to have of getting out after 25-30 runs, that tendency to throw his wicket away, now he’s taking a bit more responsibility. He converted that into a 50-60 and today an unbeaten 80. So he has a lot of potential, and I just hope he continues and realises the potential and converts it into consistent performances. He is a very, very talented boy.”Â
In four innings so far this season, the 25-year-old Prabhsimran Singh has already accumulated 211 runs at an average of 70.33 and a strike rate of 172.95, including two half-centuries. Both Prabhsimran and Shreyas will be hoping to continue their good run and drive Punjab Kings forward deep into the tournament.
Also Read:Â MI vs PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh & Shreyas Iyer Annihilate MI