Shreyas Iyer made a shocking revelation after India’s impressive four-wicket win in the first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Shreyas was in a devastating mood as he smashed 59 off 36 as India successfully chased down England’s modest total of 248 in the first ODI in Nagpur to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Speaking to broadcasters after India’s win in the first ODI, Shreyas said that he wasn’t supposed to play in the first ODI. Iyer mentioned that he only came to know about his place in the playing XI via a late-night call from captain Rohit Sharma.
Notably, Iyer got the opportunity to play due to the absence of Virat Kohli, who missed the first ODI due to a sore knee.
“So, funny story. 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 you may play because Virat has got a swollen knee. And then (I) hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straight away,” Iyer told Star Sports after the match.
“I wasn’t supposed to play the first game, Virat unfortunately got injured and then I got the opportunity. But I kept myself prepared, I knew that at any point of time I can get a chance to play. The same thing happened with me last year as well during the Asia Cup. I got injured and someone else came and he scored a century,” he added.
At Iyer’s remarks, the commentator Parthiv Patel said, “We didn’t know that actually! We thought that Yashasvi Jaiswal played because Virat got injured. We were sure that you were going to find a place in the XI.”
The 30-year-old Iyer then tried to quash any rumours about him being unhappy about being left out initially.
“You know what you want me to say, but I’m going to keep it low-key and cherish this moment, the victory today,” he said with a smile.
While the extent of Kohli’s knee injury is yet to be fully diagnosed, Shreya’s impending return for the remainder of the series against England and for the Champions Trophy leaves India with a wealth of riches in their batting line-up.
Iyer, who scored 530 runs during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023, credited his recent efforts at domestic level for helping him shine against England.
“To be honest, I played throughout the domestic season, it taught me a lot and gave me a decent idea about how to approach my innings, the attitude I have to keep and it’s just the mindset that I’ve improved over a period of time,” he said.
“Also, from the skills point of view, you need to upgrade yourself, elevate and keep learning every now and then. I think I ticked all the boxes right and also my fitness played an important role,” he added.
