In a format where 200-plus scores are no longer safe and panic can spread in a couple of quiet overs, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has turned run chases into craft. While some rely on brute force, Iyer has developed a method around timing and calculated acceleration. Since the beginning of IPL 2023, the right-hander has emerged as one of IPL’s most dependable batsmen in chases, with 703 runs in 17 innings at an average of 100.43, a strike rate of 175.31 and eight fifties. What makes these numbers even more significant is that they have not come through passive accumulation. The 31-year-old strikes the right balance between control and acceleration, a combination few batsmen have managed with scoreboard pressure mounting. It has given teams the comfort of knowing that they have a batsman who can soak in the pressure early, accelerate later and stay unbeaten deep into the chase.…