After Thursday, February 8’s first ODI against England in Nagpur, Shreyas Iyer made the startling admission that he wasn’t included in India’s starting lineup and only entered the game when Virat Kohli had a neck injury.
Shreyas took full most of his chance, scoring a brisk half-century that was important in India’s successful pursuit of a 249-run total with four wickets remaining. With nine fours and two sixes in just 36 balls, the Mumbai batsman hammered 59.
Many experts were stunned to learn that Shreyas was about to be dropped from the side, including Harbhajan Singh. Shreyas’ incredible accomplishments during the 2023 ODI World Cup, when he finished with 530 runs from 11 matches at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24, were brought up by the renowned off-spinner in his criticism of the team management.
“Shreyas has a track record of success. During the World Cup, he scored a lot of runs. A player believes he will have opportunities after scoring a lot of runs. Because he thinks he is the best, God felt the same way. He received what no one else had, and what someone else had considered for Shreyas was not realised. The player you were considering benching put on a performance that made the game unfair. Speaking to Hindustan Times on the fringes of the DP World ILT20 2025, Harbhajan stated, “The 50 runs he scored changed the complexion of the game.”
Rishabh Pant must bide his time until he gets his chance: Harbhajan Singh
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the two wicketkeeping choices that India has selected for both the Champions Trophy and the England tour. The cricket player from Karnataka was selected for the opening match. Pant will have to wait a little while more before he gets his chance, according to Harbhajan.
Although Rishabh Pant is an excellent player, it appears that KL Rahul is being given preference as a wicketkeeper-batter combination by the management at the moment. Harbhajan pointed out that Rishabh Pant will now have to wait for his chance.
“Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel are also in line. I simply hope that the current team that was chosen does well. I’m hoping KL Rahul does well. The former cricket player turned analyst went on to say, “Rishabh Pant will eventually be in the lineup, whether it is today or tomorrow.”
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