"In ODIs, Shreyas Iyer is far better than SKY" - Fans react as Iyer smashes 80 off 76 balls against New Zealand

Shreyas Iyer smashed a crucial half-century against New Zealand in the first ODI in Auckland on Friday (November 25).

After failing to make an impact in the T20I series, Iyer came out all guns blazing to hit 80 off 76 balls, a knock that included four sixes and as many boundaries. He spent quality time in the middle, after short deliveries troubled him during the T20I series, and laid a solid platform for his side.

The right-handed batter helped the Men in Blue fight back after they lost wickets in clusters in the middle overs. He shared crucial partnerships with Sanju Samson and Washington Sundar for the fifth and sixth wickets, respectively to ensure Team India reached a commendable total against the hosts.

Fans on Twitter hailed Shreyas Iyer for yet another magnificent performance in a 50-over format. For the uninitiated, the Mumbai batter has been in top gear in 2022, scoring 566 runs in 11 ODI innings, including a century and five fifties.

Here are some of the best reactions:

Iyer is gunning to secure his spot in the 2023 World Cup squad. Earlier, the middle-order batter had scored 191 runs in three games against the Proteas, including an unbeaten 113. He also amassed 161 runs in three matches in the West Indies.

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Shreyas Iyer’s 80 guides Team India to 300+ total

Shreyas Iyer's top innings and Sundar’s cameo (37 off 16 balls) helped the team post 306/7 in the allotted 50 overs.

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill smashed half-centuries and shared a century partnership for the opening wicket. While Dhawan scored 72, Gill contributed 50 runs. Meanwhile, Samson also contributed 36 runs to the total.

Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson emerged as the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, picking up three wickets each. Adam Milne also took a wicket.

Shikhar Dhawan and Co. will look to start the ODI series on a winning note in their pursuit of avenging the 0-3 series loss they suffered in New Zealand in 2019. All eyes will be on debutants Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh when India bowl.