IND vs SA: Watch: Shreyas Iyer's Bat Takes A Flight In 1st ODI

Shreyas Iyer looked in great touch in the ongoing first ODI against South Africa. The batter played some great shots at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and made sure that he continued his dream run in the 50-over format. 

Shreyas Iyer came to bat after India lost Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) early. He opened his account with a stupendous straight drive. But after that for a slight period of time, things weren’t easy for him as South African bowlers tested him with brutal bowling. 

The Proteas bowlers tested him with short balls and it’s fair to say that he looked a bit uncomfortable as well. That was quite evident during the last ball of the 9th over when he was rushed by the pace of Nandre Burger. 

The left-arm pacer bowled a short ball to which Shreyas Iyer tried to pull. The batter went hard at the ball and lost his bat in the process. The bat ballooned towards square leg and the ball went over mid-on. He took two runs as well. 

Here’s the video: 

pic.twitter.com/ciI3rH7EUe

— Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (@Hanji_CricDekho) December 17, 2023

But after that, Shreyas Iyer looked in a completely different mood. He didn’t put a foot wrong as he timed the ball to perfection and played some crisp shots. He took India close to the target and made sure that he took the game away from the opposition. 

Shreyas Iyer slammed a vital half-century but failed to take his team home as he perished just a few runs before the target. The batter scored 52 runs off 45 balls. He batted with a strike rate of over 115 as he hit 6 fours and 1 six in his innings. 

Apart from him, Sai Sudharsan slammed a magnificent half-century on his debut and remained unbeaten to take his team home. He scored 55 runs as India completed a comfortable 8-wicket win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. 

IND vs SA: Shreyas Iyer to leave ODI squad after 1st ODI against South Africa 

Shreyas Iyer will now not be seen in the action for the ODI series against South Africa. He will be released from the squad as he will be joining the Test squad to prepare for the two-match Test series. He was part of the team for the T20I series but didn’t feature in any of the games.

This was because to manage his workload ahead of the longest format of the game. The batter is expected to play a huge role for his side in the series as he will be holding the key for his team in the middle order. 

Shreyas Iyer has played a vital role for his team in whatever Tests he has played. However, he missed a few crucial games due to the back injury he faced. The batter is expected to bat at No.5 in the upcoming series. It will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his talent in the Tests in overseas conditions. It will be the second time he will be playing a Test in South Africa.