There’s always something special when a player lines up against his former team — a script waiting to be written in bold strokes. But at Mullanpur, things didn’t unfold the way Shreyas Iyer would’ve hoped. Up against his old side, Iyer’s promising form this season came to an abrupt halt, thanks to a moment of sheer brilliance in the field from Ramandeep Singh.
Having won the toss, Punjab skipper Iyer opted to bat on a surface that looked like a belter for batters. His openers, Prabhsimran Singh and youngster Priyansh Arya, got off to a flyer, smashing 33 runs in just three overs. But then came the game-changing fourth over from Harshit Rana.
First, Arya was sent back. Then, on the fourth delivery, Rana bowled a short one outside off at 141 kmph. Iyer went for the slash, aiming to pierce the offside field — but the ball flew flat and fast toward deep backward point.
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Enter Ramandeep Singh. Sprinting in from the boundary, he judged the trajectory perfectly and timed his dive to perfection. With his hands barely above the turf, he pulled off a spectacular low catch — one that left even the opposition applauding. That dismissal — Iyer’s silver duck — instantly lit up social media, with fans praising Ramandeep’s effort and the poetic twist of him catching his former captain.
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At the toss, Ajinkya Rahane admitted he wanted to bowl first, but added, “Toss is not in our control. Our batting is strong enough to chase. Just one change — Nortje comes in for Moeen Ali.”
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Iyer, on the other hand, seemed confident with his decision to bat: “The wicket’s been good lately. The dew comes in, but the outfield doesn’t skid much. We’ll look to create moments of brilliance in the field — especially with our catching.” Little did he know, brilliance would come — but not from his side.
