In a moment of uncanny coincidence, Shreyas Iyer lost his wicket immediately after Navjot Singh Sidhu lauded him as the best middle-order batsman in the world during the Champions Trophy 2025 clash between India and New Zealand.
Iyer was playing a crucial knock and had just crossed a well-made 79 off 98 balls before falling to William O’Rourke. The timing of his dismissal left fans wondering if Sidhu’s remark had triggered the infamous “commentator’s curse.”
How it happened:
- While on-air, Navjot Singh Sidhu praised Shreyas Iyer, calling him the best middle-order batter in world cricket.
- On the very next delivery, Iyer mistimed a shot and was caught by Will Young off William O’Rourke.
- Iyer departed for 79 off 98 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes), leaving India at 172/5 in 36.2 overs.
Siddhu ko chup karao, panauti me #ShreyasIyer ko out Kara diya!#INDvsNZ
— ☀ सत्य वचन ☀ (@Stet2019_v) March 2, 2025
siddhu ne jaise tarrif kari shreyas out ho gya kya panoti h bc😭
— Abhishek🥀 (@abhi_yaarrr) March 2, 2025
Siddhu Paaji ne jaise hi kaha ki “Shreyas Iyer is the best middle-order batsman in the world”. Bechara agli ball pe hi out ho gaya. 😂
— Faiz Fazel (@theFaizFazel) March 2, 2025
https://twitter.com/imvishnupurohit/status/1896160420769280076
India’s Score at the time of Iyer’s dismissal:
- India: 172/5 (36.2 overs)
- KL Rahul batting at 17 (21)*
- Yet to bat: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and the tailenders.
Iyer’s dismissal came at a crucial juncture, just when India seemed to be recovering from early setbacks. His wicket means added responsibility on the remaining batters to ensure India reaches a competitive total.
Was this an unfortunate coincidence or a classic “commentator’s curse” in action? Stay tuned for more updates from the match!
