Shreyas Iyer smashed a half-century against England in Nagpur© AFP
Shreyas Iyer truly made his intent clear as he smashed a quick-fire fifty in India’s 4-wicket victory against England during the 1st ODI on Thursday. The batter, who came out to play at the No. 4 slot, was nearly benched for the series opener but an injury to Virat Kohli paved the way for his place in the team. After the end of the match, Iyer shared a fiery post on social media, speaking his mind as he made a memorable return to the national team.
It was Yashasvi jaiswal who made his debut in the opening ODI, but his inclusion didn’t come as a result of Kohli’s injury. Jaiswal was already in Team India’s playing XI before Kohli’s unavailability became apparent. Iyer, after making the most of his lucky break, didn’t want to keep his emotions under check on social media.
“No better feeling,” Iyer wrote on X as he shared a few pictures of his knock.
No better feeling pic.twitter.com/DuPYfL4Gja
– Shreyas iyer (@shreyasiyer15) February 6, 2025
After the game, the batter revealed that skipper Rohit Sharma gave him a late-night call, informing him to be prepared to play as Kohli isn’t 100 percent sure of his fitness.
“So, funny story,” Iyer shared. “I was watching a movie last night, thinking I could extend my night, but then I got a call from the skipper saying that I might play because Virat has got a swollen knee. And then I hurried back to my room and went off to sleep straight away.”
When asked about Jaiswal getting the nod ahead of him in the original plan, Iyer cleverly avoided triggering a controversy. “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 asserted.
With Virat Kohli likely to be fit for the second ODI in Cuttack, captain Rohit does have a big call to make.
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