Shreyas Iyer Might Get Dropped for Second ODI Against England - Reports

The second ODI between India and England is set to kick off on February 9 at Cuttack. Shreyas Iyer, India's star middle-order batter, might lose his place in the playing XI for the second ODI, even though he scored a match-winning knock in the first ODI at Kolkata.

According to reports from the PTI, Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to keep his spot as an opener because the team management prefers a left-right batting combination. Jaiswal made his ODI debut against England in the first match, but he scored only 13 runs.

The reports also mentioned that Iyer was missing from India's optional practice session on Saturday. Meanwhile, the star batter Virat Kohli missed the first game due to a knee issue. In the practice session, Kohli spent nearly an hour batting in the nets. He looks in good touch with the bat in the nets. If he replaces Iyer, he will likely bat at number four position.

The vice-captain Shubman Gill, Hardik, Harshit Rana, and Shami also skipped the optional session. The Indian team captain Rohit Sharma struggled in the nets, getting bowled twice by the local net bowlers. In the first ODI also Rohit failed to reach double digits in Kolkata.

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Shreyas Iyer’s Last-Minute Call-Up

Before the series, Iyer was India’s preferred number four due to his consistent form in the 2023 World Cup. After the first game, he revealed that he was set to be dropped for Jaiswal but got a late call from Rohit about Kohli’s injury.

Iyer said, “I was watching a movie last night, thinking I could stay up late, but then I got a call from the skipper saying I might have to play because Virat had a swollen knee. I rushed back to my room and went straight to sleep," 

When India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, was asked about the team’s combination in the pre-match press conference, he chose not to give a clear answer. “That’s something for the head coach and captain to decide. Yes, the left-right combination is an important factor, but that’s not a question for me to answer."

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