Aakash Chopra, a former opener and commentator, has blasted critics for doubting the inclusion of vice-captain Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the Indian team after India defeated England by four wickets in the first ODI in Nagpur earlier Thursday.
With Shreyas Iyer playing an attacking knock while Gill anchored the innings, both hitters were instrumental in India’s chase.
The outstanding performances of Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja, who each took three wickets, allowed the Rohit Sharma-led team to limit the visitors to 248. As they chased the objective, Gill (87), Iyer (59), and Axar Patel (52), among others, helped the hosts win easily with 68 balls remaining.
Chopra said that he was disappointed by the enquiries over the inclusion of the two batters. “Critics have been too quick to judge players who have consistently performed, especially on social media,” he said.
When Shubman Gill’s role on the squad was questioned, for example, the mood shifted. Shreyas Iyer’s position on the team was not even questioned by the keyboard warriors because social media is present. They began asking other questions about whether he would be selected and whether he would play. On Sports 18, he stated, “But forgot that Iyer scored 500-plus runs in the ODI World Cup 2023.”
Akash Chopra cooking pant’s PR🥺pic.twitter.com/IGMkiKEZBf
— Maggix (@abhicosx) February 6, 2025
Shubman Gill receives Player of the Match in the first game of the series.
Prior to the game, there had been discussion about Gill and Iyer’s inclusion. After a poor Test series in Australia, Gill saw former players requesting that Yashasvi Jaiswal be given preference in the ODIs. Iyer was also left out of the starting lineup at first and only got a chance because of Virat Kohli’s knee injury, even though he scored 530 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Despite the strain, the Punjabi player had a brilliant knock, striking 14 boundaries and 87 off 96 balls to win Player of the Match. However, after being added at the last minute, the Mumbai batsman scored an impressive 59 off just 36 balls, striking two sixes and nine boundaries.
Iyer’s place on the team, meanwhile, has long been a source of contention. In spite of his achievements at the 2023 ODI World Cup, he was not selected for Test or T20I matches and was not even included in the BCCI central contract. Instead, he was asked to play cricket at home.
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