'Forgot that he scored 500-plus runs in ODI World Cup 2023?' - Aakash Chopra slams Shreyas Iyer's critics

Following India's convincing four-wicket victory over England in the first ODI in Nagpur on Thursday, former opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has slammed critics for questioning the inclusion of vice-captain Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer in the Indian team. Both batters played crucial roles in India's chase, with Gill anchoring the innings and Iyer playing an attacking knock.

The Rohit Sharma-led side restricted the visitors to 248, thanks to brilliant performances from Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja, with both claiming three wickets each. Chasing the target, the hosts saw contributions from Gill (87), Iyer (59), and Axar Patel (52), to secure a comfortable win with 68 balls to spare.

Chopra expressed his disappointment with the questions surrounding the two batters' inclusion. He mentioned that critics, especially on social media, have been too quick to judge players who have consistently performed.

"The atmosphere changes, like when people raised question marks on Shubman Gill's position in the team. Because the social media is there, the keyboard warriors did not even spare questioning about Shreyas Iyer's place in the team. Whether his selection would happen or not, whether he would play or not, they started raising all sorts of questions. But forgot that Iyer scored 500-plus runs in the ODI World Cup 2023," he said on Sports 18.

Also Read: 'That is still a question looming large' - Aakash Chopra on Harshit Rana playing ahead of Arshdeep Singh

Shubman Gill wins Player of the Match award in series opener

The inclusion of Gill and Iyer had been debated ahead of the match. Gill, who had a subpar Test series in Australia, witnessed former players asking for Yashasvi Jaiswal to be preferred in the ODIs. Similarly, Iyer, despite scoring 530 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup, was not initially included in the playing XI and only got a chance due to Virat Kohli’s knee injury.

Despite the pressure, the Punjab-born played an exceptional knock, scoring 87 off 96 balls with 14 boundaries, earning him the Player of the Match award. On the other hand, the Mumbai batter, who was only included at the last minute, played an attacking 59 off just 36 balls, hitting nine boundaries and two sixes.

Meanwhile, Iyer's position in the team has been a topic of debate for some time. Despite his performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, he was overlooked for Test and T20I selections and was even excluded from the BCCI central contract. Instead, he was asked to play domestic cricket.