ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Shreyas Iyer was nearly dropped from ODI squad! Report makes shocking revelation

Shocking news has emerged about middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer following his match-winning knock in the first ODI match between India and England. According to reports, Shreyas Iyer was not even considered for the 15-member squad for the ongoing three-match series alongside the Champions Trophy.

Shreyas Iyer revealed that he wouldn't have been included in the playing XI for the first ODI against England if not for Virat Kohli's injury. He made this surprising comment after the Rohit Sharma-led team's four-wicket victory at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6.

Shreyas Iyer Not Considered for 15-Member Squad List

Rohit Juglan, a journalist from Revsportz, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Shreyas Iyer wasn’t initially considered part of the playing XI for the first ODI in Nagpur. He also stated that Iyer was not even on the list for the 15-member squad, and there was discussion about his inclusion.

"Break - Forget about Shreyas Iyer was not part of the first 11 in Nagpur odi - he wasn’t in everyone’s list for the 15 member squad - There was discussion on his name too," Rohit Juglan wrote.

Break - Forget about Shreyas Iyer was not part of the first 11 in Nagpur odi - he wasn’t in everyone’s list for the 15 member squad -
There was discussion on his name too

— Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) February 8, 2025

During the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma stated that Virat Kohli would miss the ODI against England due to a sore knee. Yashasvi Jaiswal was thought to have replaced Kohli in the playing XI. However, Shreyas Iyer later confirmed in a post-match interview that he was the one who replaced the injured Kohli.

Shreyas Iyer's Counter-Attacking Knock Unsettled England's Fast Bowlers

In the first ODI, India bowled England out for 248 after Jos Buttler chose to bat first. Shreyas Iyer came to the crease when the team was in trouble at 19/2. Iyer played a counter-attacking knock to unsettle England's fast bowlers. He scored 59 runs off 36 balls, helping India win by four wickets with 68 balls to spare.

Iyer's impressive ODI stats - 47.69 average, 102.14 strike rate, five centuries, and 19 half-centuries in 63 matches - proved his value. The upcoming second ODI in Cuttack on February 9 will likely decide India's approach to their top order if Kohli returns.

Shreyas Iyer is an Important Topic Because... - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra praised Shreyas Iyer for proving his critics wrong with a strong half-century. He pointed out Iyer’s solid performances in the 2023 World Cup and first-class cricket, which show his importance to the team.

"Shreyas Iyer is an important topic because Indian cricket is going very differently. It is driven a lot by the atmosphere, and the atmosphere had been created whether Iyer would be selected, whether Iyer should be played, and why shouldn't Iyer also be dropped," he said (7:05).

"I said are you going mad? It's good no one agreed with our keyboard warriors. No one agrees with what they say and shouldn't as well because the atmosphere was for Gill not to be played. When he became the vice-captain, they said it's confirmed now that he might play. Iyer scored 500 runs in the last World Cup, played first-class cricket, and scored runs there as well," Chopra added.

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