'Was watching movie': Shreyas reveals call from India captain to replace Kohli for IND vs ENG 1st ODI

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer revealed how he got to know about his inclusion in the playing XI for the recently concluded first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. 

Shreyas Iyer made a brilliant comeback with a fifty in India’s four-wicket win against England in the ODI series opener. The 29-year-old played an innings of 59 off 36 and also formed a crucial 94-run partnership with Shubman Gill to lift the Men in Blue from 19/2 to 113/2. Iyer began his international comeback by smashing two sixes off Jofra Archer in an over before taking on other England bowlers to the cleaners. His brilliant innings laced  9 fours and 2 sixes and batted at an impressive strike rate of 163.89. 

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Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer was not part of the initial playing XI decided by Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and management until Virat Kohli experienced a swollen knee the night before the first ODI against England. Kohli was ruled out of the ODI series opener due to knee soreness, as officially announced by the BCCI on X and Rohit Sharma at the toss. 

Speaking to Star Sports after India’s first ODI win against England, Shreyas Iyer revealed that he was watching a movie last night until he received a call from Rohit Sharma to inform him that Kohli wouldn’t play the ODI series opener due to swollen knee. The Mumbai-born batter added that he had to cut short his move night and went straight to sleep after call from India captain. 

“Funny story, I was watching a movie last night, and I thought I could extend my night.” Iyer said. 

“But then I got a call from the skipper saying that I may play because Virat has a swollen knee. And then I hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straight," he added. 

Shreyas Iyer was out of action for over a year after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) removed him from the central contracts’ list for players for not adhering to the board’s direction to play the Ranji Trophy in the last season. However, the 29-year-old managed to make his return to the Indian team after a long gap, thanks to his brilliant performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he amassed 325 runs, including two centuries, at an astounding average of 325 in five matches. 

Talking about the match, Ravindra Jadeja (3/26) and Harshit Rana (3/53) picked six wickets together to help India bundle out England for 248 in 47.4 overs despite fifties from Jos Buttler (52) and Jacob Bethel (51). Apart from Jadeja and Rana, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav too contributed to India’s bowling by taking a wicket each. 

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Chasing a 249-run target set by England, Shubman Gill led India’s batting with a masterclass innings of 87 off 96 balls. Apart from Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel too chipped in with a valuable knock of 52 off 47 balls. Eventually, Hardik Pandya (9*) and Ravindra Jadeja (12*) helped India chase down the target in 38.4 overs. 

India will now look to seal the series when they take on England in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack on Sunday, February 8.