Shreyas Iyer showcased his remarkable form in One Day Internationals with a performance that significantly impacted England during the first match in Nagpur. Ricky Ponting, the esteemed Australian cricketer, expressed his astonishment at Iyer's initial omission from the team. Over recent years, Iyer has seemingly solidified his position as India's No. 4 batsman, amassing 468 runs at an impressive average of 66.25 in the 2023 World Cup, with a strike rate of 113.24, the highest among India's middle-order players. Nevertheless, India opted to include Yashasvi Jaiswal for his debut in the original lineup prior to Kohli's injury.

Jaiswal's entry necessitated a rearrangement of the Indian batting order, resulting in Shubman Gill being moved to No. 3, a position traditionally held by Kohli in the ODI format. It remains uncertain whether India intended to shift Kohli to No. 4 had he been available. Several former cricketers have voiced their surprise regarding this situation and Iyer's initial exclusion, given his remarkable consistency in recent ODIs.

Ponting, who previously worked with Iyer during his tenure as head coach of the Delhi Capitals, is set to reunite with him at Punjab Kings in the upcoming IPL. "I have been somewhat surprised that he has been out of India's lineup for the past couple of years. He had an outstanding World Cup in India, where he performed exceptionally well in the middle order, and I genuinely believed he had secured that position," Ponting remarked.

After experiencing a few injuries, including a back problem that kept him off the field, his domestic season this year has been remarkable. This achievement aligns with his performance since the IPL auction period, during which he has been nothing less than exceptional, he remarked.

"He possesses the skills that are well-suited for the white-ball formats, particularly in that region. On those pitches, which tend to be slower and lower, he excels. We are aware of his proficiency against spin bowling, and while teams generally refrain from bowling much spin in India, it will inevitably occur at some point. When Shreyas is at the crease, he is as formidable as anyone. Therefore, I am thrilled to see him reintegrated into their squad," Ponting stated.

"I was watching a movie."

Iyer entered the game when India was at 19/2 in the sixth over, having lost both openers early on. He aggressively targeted the England fast bowlers, consistently sending short deliveries to the boundary, ultimately scoring 59 runs off 36 balls. Following the match, he shared how he prepared himself after receiving a last-minute notification about his participation.

"It's quite an amusing story. I was watching a movie last night, thinking I could extend my evening. Then I received a call from the captain informing me that I might play due to Virat's swollen knee, so I quickly returned to my room and went straight to sleep. We were unaware of that situation," Iyer explained.

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