Shreyas Iyer talks about his late night selection ahead of 1st ODI and how he reacted to that selection in the aftermath.
Shreyas Iyer, who scored a match-winning 36-ball 59 in the first ODI against England in Nagpur, was originally meant to sit out the match.
India gave the opener Yashasvi Jaiswal an ODI debut in place of Virat Kohli, who was unable to play due to a sore right knee. However, it has come to light that Jaiswal might have been in India’s original lineup for the game rather than replacing the injured Kohli, with Iyer, their regular No. 4, expected to start the series on the bench.
Iyer disclosed that skipper Rohit Sharma called him late at night to let him know he was playing.
“So, funny story,” Iyer said. “I was watching a movie last night, I thought I could extend my night, but then I got a call from skipper saying that you may play because Virat has got a swollen knee. And then [I] hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straightaway.”
Asked about Jaiswal starting ahead of him, Iyer kept his answer diplomatic. “You know what you want me to say, but I’m going to keep it low-key and cherish this moment, the victory today.”
India’s usual starting combination of Rohit and Shubman Gill had to be switched around due to Jaiswal’s arrival, with Gill dropping to No. 3. Who would have batted at No. 3 if Kohli had also been available is still unknown.
Iyer, who has recently established himself as India’s ODI No. 4, was an essential part of their lineup during their 2023 World Cup run to the final, amassing 468 runs at an average of 66.25, with two hundreds, notably a 70-ball 105 against New Zealand in the semi-final. He had the highest strike rate of any middle-order batsman in India, at 113.24.
The series against England is India’s last set of ODIs before the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19. India are set to open their tournament with a match against Bangladesh on February 20.