'How could you bench him?' - Aakash Chopra bemused with India's selection ideology after Shreyas Iyer's late call-up revelation

A large part of India's four-wicket win against England in the first ODI of their ongoing series against England could be attributed to Shreyas Iyer's assertive 36-ball 59-run knock. Coming in quite early during the run-chase, he provided the much-needed impetus after the dismissal of the openers. Interestingly, Iyer was a last-minute replacement for Virat Kohli, who sat out due to a sore right knee.

Even more interestingly, Iyer himself shared on the broadcasters' post-match show that he wouldn't have featured in the game had Kohli been fit. Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator, Aakash Chopra, could not quite digest the fact that Iyer was still not a regular in the ODI setup, especially after the success he obtained at the previous edition of the World Cup.  

Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: Shreyas Iyer had to cut short movie night after selection call from Rohit Sharma

Trying to wrap my head around the revelation that Iyer wasn’t likely to play if Kohli was fit.
He’s the first Indian to score 500+ runs batting at 4 in a World Cup. 2023. How could you bench him??
And if he wasn’t going to play, where was Kohli supposed to bat? At 4? Surely,…

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 6, 2025

Speaking on how the series opener transpired, Gill and Iyer bossed the second innings in addition to a fifty from Axar Patel's willow. A rapid 94-run stand between Gill and Iyer acted as a severe dent to England's hopes. India won by four wickets with 68 deliveries to spare to take an early lead in the three-match series.  

Iyer has also been picked for India's 15-member Champions Trophy squad. It will be interesting to see how the team management employs Iyer after a refreshing knock at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium - both in the remainder of the England series and the subsequent marquee ODI tournament.