Shreyas Iyer credited a focused batting session with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar for the technical adjustments behind his maiden T20I century.
Iyer struck an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls against the West Indies in Lucknow, guiding India to an eight-wicket victory in the opening match of the series.
The innings ended a 67-match wait for a T20 international century and featured 10 fours and six sixes.
According to a report by NDTV Sports, adjustments to his grip, initial movement and tactical approach formed the basis of his preparation.
Technical concerns after Asian Games
Iyer had raised concerns about his batting mechanics during India's gold-winning campaign at the Asian Games.
He felt he was generating less power than desired and was struggling to produce the clean bat swing needed to clear the boundary consistently.
Nayar said their discussion focused on restoring Iyer's confidence in his technique and helping him prepare more effectively before facing deliveries.
"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 wasn't generating as much force while hitting and had doubts about being able to clear the boundary," Nayar told the Press Trust of India in an exclusive interaction on Wednesday.
Nayar visited Iyer at home for a session lasting nearly two hours because the batter had recently returned from Japan and needed to catch another flight.
Their work combined technical adjustments with discussions about handling different bowlers and match situations.
"He just felt it was certain, because we have worked and been together for so long. It was more of a technical and tactical thing.
We did a bit of work on his grip and his movements that he speaks about, to get flow and momentum into his batting," Nayar said.
"And then, obviously, there were a few tactical nuances as to how he can overcome certain bowlers and situations.
So, it was more about a couple of hours of sitting and talking, and making sure he felt really good about his initial movement and, before the ball is bowled, had the feeling of being able to hit the ball."
The session also included practical demonstrations, allowing Iyer to experience the adjustments rather than relying on discussion alone.
Nayar said the changes needed to be practiced to become effective during competition.
"In a lot of ways, it was about a slight change in the grip from a technical perspective, getting his initial movement right, and tactically understanding how to overcome bowlers," Nayar said.
Iyer on preparation and rhythm
In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Iyer acknowledged that his conversation with Nayar had contributed to his performance against the West Indies.
The two have previously worked together through Mumbai's domestic cricket setup, Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and the national team environment.
"I had a brief interaction with Abhishek Nayar during that period when we were talking about cricket.
I think that conversation with him helped me a lot in my performance (vs WI)," Iyer said.
Iyer identified preparation before the delivery as a key adjustment that helped him establish rhythm at the crease.
He emphasized the importance of positioning himself properly before attempting his shots.
"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.
Nayar said he had not anticipated such an immediate result from their work, crediting Iyer for implementing the adjustments successfully.
He also stressed that technical changes require physical practice, not just conversation.
"You can't just talk and get this right. You obviously have to demonstrate 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 them," Nayar said.
Nayar added that their recent conversations had increasingly focused on tactical decisions, including how Iyer could respond to specific bowling challenges.
He said the immediate objective was to restore the batter's confidence in his ability to generate power and clear the boundary.
"A lot of what happened in the Asian Games was that he felt he couldn't generate the kind of force he wanted while trying to hit the ball, and he felt his bat swing wasn't as clean as it had been in the past," Nayar said.
Following the victory in Lucknow, Nayar noted that Iyer was scheduled to travel to Ranchi, where the pitch conditions could differ from those in the opening match.
He encouraged the batter to remain focused on his preparation rather than becoming preoccupied with scoring another century.
