Shreyas Iyer's defensive retort when faced with 'short ball' question | Cricket World Cup

Shreyas Iyer knew that he would be asked probing questions about his apparent weakness against short ball but the Mumbaikar, after his smashing 82, was ready to hook any such queries out of the park.

"When you say it's a problem for me what do you mean?," Iyer went on a counter-offensive.

"Troubled me? Have you seen how many pull shots I've scored? Especially, which has gone for four? In my mind, I have no problems with short ball,” Iyer replied to the query, seemingly agitated with the use of word 'problem'.

For Iyer, it is simple. Batters, who go on offensive often get out.

"If you're trying to hit a ball, you're bound to get out anyway. Irrespective of it's a short ball, (or) it's an over-pitch. If I get bowled two or three times, you all would say that OK 'he can't play an in-swinging ball' or 'he can't play a cut if ball is seaming'," Iyer said.

"We, as players, are bound to get out on any sort of deliveries. You guys have created that environment outside that 'he can't play a short ball'. And I feel that people are picking that up every now and then and it plays on your mind regularly and you keep working on that," Iyer added.

Iyer said he has played a majority of his domestic cricket at the Wankhede Stadium, his homeground, and he knows it well in terms of tackling the short ball.

"Coming from Mumbai, especially from Wankhede, where the bounce is pretty much even and it bounces way more than any other pitches. So, I've played (the) majority of my games here, so I know how to tackle it,” he said.

Iyer said in his mind he knows there's no issue when it comes to facing the short ball.

"It's just that when I go to hit some shots, you are bound to get out and sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not. And (the) majority of the times it hasn't worked for me, maybe that's the reason you think it's a problem for me. But in my mind, I know there's no problem,” he said.