NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed surprise after Shreyas Iyer revealed that he was not originally in India’s playing XI for the first ODI against England. Iyer, who played a match-winning knock in Nagpur on Thursday, disclosed that he was only informed late at night by skipper Rohit Sharma that he would be replacing an injured Virat Kohli.
After helping India chase down England’s 249-run target with four wickets and 68 balls to spare, Iyer told Star Sports: “I was watching a movie last night. I thought I could extend my night, but then I got a call from the skipper saying that I may play because Virat has got a swollen knee. I hurried back to my room and went to sleep straight away.”
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Reacting to Iyer’s comments, Chopra took to social media platform X and questioned the team management’s selection choices. “Trying to wrap my head around the revelation that Iyer wasn’t likely to play if Kohli was fit. He’s the first Indian to score 500+ runs batting at No. 4 in a World Cup 2023. How could you bench him?? And if he wasn’t going to play, where was Kohli supposed to bat? At 4? Surely, Gill wasn’t getting pushed to 4,” Chopra wrote.
Iyer, making the most of his unexpected opportunity, played a crucial knock after India lost two early wickets at 19 for two. He counter-attacked with a stunning 59 off 36 balls, smashing two sixes and nine fours to shift momentum in India’s favour.
Reflecting on his last-minute inclusion, Iyer remarked, “I’m going to keep it low-key and just cherish this moment, the victory. I wasn’t supposed to play, but I kept myself prepared. I knew that at any point in time I could get a chance.”
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Drawing parallels to his own struggles, Iyer added, “The same thing happened with me last year during the Asia Cup. I got injured, and someone else came in and scored a century.”
Iyer’s performance has now reignited discussions about his place in India’s middle order, while Chopra’s reaction has raised further questions about the team’s selection strategy.