Shreyas Iyer dropped a massive hint on India’s plans for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with his might night story following the Men in Blue’s comfortable win over England in the first ODI in Nagpur on Thursday. Batting at no.4, Shreyas Iyer scored a 36-ball 59 to counterattack against the English bowlers who had the upper hand in the powerplay.
One of the mainstays of the Indian batting order at No.4 in the last two-three years, Shreyas Iyer revealed that he wasn’t going to play in the first play. It was after Virat Kohli got injured that captain Rohit Sharma called the new Punjab Kings captain to be match ready.
“I wasn’t supposed to play the first game. As we all know, Virat unfortunately got injured and then I got the opportunity. It’s actually a funny story. I was watching the movie last night. I thought that I could extend my nighttime. Then I got a call from the skipper saying that I may play because Virat has got a swollen knee, and I hurried back to my room and went off to sleep straight,” Shreyas Iyer revealed post-match.
The right-hander’s comments give a massive hint at India’s batting order in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with the ongoing ODI series being seen as the preparation for the mega event.
Considering Shreyas Iyer not to be in the Indian playing XI, India might open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, thus providing the left-right combination at the top. Shubman Gill will be batting at No.3 with Virat Kohli to follow.
If that’s the batting order for India, Shubman Gill did justice to his spot with a brilliant 87 against the Jos Buttler-led side on Thursday. The right-hander from Punjab, came in as a opener in the Indian team, but slowly and steadily moved to No.3 in Tests. If Shreyas Iyer’s hint is to be believed, the Punjab lad is certainly to bat at his new position in Dubai.
Shreyas Iyer in 2023 ODI World Cup
Shreyas Iyer’s words left the left the experts Parthiv Patel and Kevin Pietersen speechless. Following his super show in the ODI World Cup in 2023, everybody thought the stylish right-hander to take the No.4 position with Virat Kohli at No.3 and KL Rahul at No.5.
In fact, for everyone, Yashasvi Jaiswal was Virat Kohli’s replacement. If numbers are to be believed, Shreyas Iyer emerged as India’s second highest run-getter with 530 runs at average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24, which included two centuries and three fifties.
However, the Mumbai batter chose to stay mum on India’s plans ahead of the Champions Trophy. “I don’t know what you want me to say, but I’m gonna keep it low key and just, you know, cherish this moment, the victory,” he replied to Parthiv Patel’s question.
In case, Yashasvi Jaiswal opens the batting for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the left-hander will enter his first ICC tournament with just three ODIs under the belt.
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