WATCH - Shreyas beats Siraj, Virat to bag Fielder of the Match award

NEW DELHI:

Shreyas Iyer

emerged as the latest "recipient of the

fielder of the match

award" as declared by fielding coach T.

Dilip

, surpassing the likes of

Mohammed Siraj

and Virat Kohli, following India's triumphant four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ongoing World Cup.
Iyer's exceptional fielding effort occurred when he dove to his right from square leg to make an astonishing catch, dismissing the formidable Kiwi opener, Devon Conway, who departed for a nine-ball duck.

Following this remarkable catch, Siraj signaled to Dilip, urging him to bestow the award upon Iyer.

In a creative twist, rather than merely announcing Iyer's name on the television screen, Dilip orchestrated a unique presentation. He requested everyone to exit the room, and the entire squad walked back toward the ground. There, they witnessed a drone approaching with a photo frame of Iyer. The squad was astounded, and Ravindra Jadeja presented Iyer with the award, while Kuldeep Yadav made certain that Iyer displayed his photo frame.

WATCH:

Dilip commended the team's resiliency in bouncing back after New Zealand initially established dominance in the first innings, featuring a few dropped catches and a formidable 159-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell.

"Dharamshala did pose us unique challenges. But I think apart from a few errors, I think most of the time we stood on the top of it and our ground fielding and attacking. The way we came back was outstanding. Very well done, guys," Dilip expressed in a video released by BCCI.

During the match, New Zealand's collaboration between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell allowed them to set a target of 274 for the Indian team. In pursuit of 274, India initiated with an impressive start, with skipper Rohit Sharma and

Shubhman Gill

forming a 71-run partnership for the first wicket. While India did lose Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav as the innings progressed, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja guided the hosts to a four-wicket victory with two overs to spare.
Lockie Ferguson stood out with figures of 2/63 for New Zealand, while Trent Boult, Matt Henry, and Mitchell Santner each claimed a wicket.

Mohammad Shami

was awarded the 'Player of the Match' for his remarkable five-wicket haul.
(With ANI inputs)