"Shreyas Iyer and short ball story still continues" - Twitter fumes after the right-handed batter goes for a golden duck in the third T20I 

"Shreyas Iyer and short ball story still continues" - Twitter fumes after the right-handed batter goes for a golden duck in the third T20I
Shreyas Iyer is on thin ice in Team India's scheme of things in T20Is

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer's struggles with the short ball continued as he perished against Tim Southee for a first-ball duck in the third T20I against New Zealand on Tuesday, November 22.

The Mumbai-born batter came in to bat at No. 4 yet again after both openers departed early in the powerplay while chasing the 161-run target set by New Zealand.

With his issues with the short ball well documented, Southee bowled a bouncer right up front. Rising to his chest, Iyer tried to awkwardly fend it off to the third man. However, he could not play the stroke with soft hands and failed to get on top of the bounce, leading to a soft dismissal.

Jimmy Neesham safely took the catch at first slip to reduce India to 23-3 in the third over.

Twitter remarked on the right-handed batter's glaring issue with the bouncer and feels that it needs to be rectified immediately if he wants to cement his place in the squad, especially in overseas conditions. Here are some of the reactions:

Shreyas Iyer's last T20I fifty as a non-opening batter came in February 2022

The right-handed batter's T20I spot might be at risk, especially with a slew of names waiting for an opportunity. His last T20I fifty came during the tour of the West Indies, where he availed the chance to open the innings.

However, his last credible performance in the format came during the home season against Sri Lanka in February 2022, where he was also adjudged Player of the Series for three consecutive fifties.

Iyer's dismissal has put Team India in a rough spot of bother in the run chase. The top-order collapse put pressure on the middle order, leading to the early dismissal of the in-form Suryakumar Yadav for just 13 runs.

At the time of writing, India were placed 71-4 in the ninth over, with skipper Hardik Pandya sharing the crease with Deepak Hooda. The two sides are also keeping an eye on the DLS par score with the threat of rain looming by.

Should DLS scores be level in the event of rain interruptions, the match will be adjudged as a tie.

How should Shreyas Iyer address the issues of his short-ball woes? Let us know what you think.

Click here to get India Squad for T20 World Cup 2024. Follow Sportskeeda for the T20 World Cup Schedule, Points Table, and news

Quick Links