Rohit, Gambhir decided Iyer's exclusion from initial XI against England
08 Feb 2025

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed that captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir decided to exclude Shreyas Iyer from the original playing XI for the first ODI.

He made the revelation during a press conference ahead of the second ODI while stating, "It is captain (Rohit Sharma) and coach's (Gautam Gambhir) call. I can't answer this."

Kotak stopped short of commenting on why Yashasvi Jaiswal was picked over Iyer for this match against England.

Here's more.

Iyer's unexpected inclusion and performance in 1st ODI
Late call-up

Iyer, who wasn't picked for the first game of the three-match ODI series, revealed that Sharma informed him late about his inclusion in the playing XI.

The last-minute decision was taken after Virat Kohli was injured.

Despite the last-minute entry, Iyer made an impact by scoring a quick 59 runs off just 36 balls.

On the other hand, Jaiswal made his ODI debut. He scored a 22-ball 15. Jofra Archer dismissed the opener.

Kohli's recovery may impact Iyer's position in 2nd ODI
Team changes

Kotak confirmed Kohli has recovered from his injury and is expected to return for the second ODI.

This could potentially mean either Iyer or Jaiswal's place in the team.

Considering Sharma and Gambhir's previous preference for Jaiswal, it is speculated Iyer may be the one to step aside despite his strong performance in the first match.

Kotak dismisses concerns over Sharma's form
Unfazed

When asked about Sharma's performance after his struggles in the last match, Kotak brushed off any concerns by terming it as a mere 'lean patch'.

He said there was no reason to worry about Sharma's form as he had performed well in the previous ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Although he faced some issues in Australia, Kotak believes these would not affect Sharma's performance in the white-ball format.

India's ODI stats at Barabati Stadium and team records
Match anticipation

India will face England in the second match of the series on Sunday, February 9.

Meanwhile, India have won their last seven ODI matches at the stadium. Overall, they have won 13 of their 17 ODIs here.

However, against England, India have three wins and two defeats.

The venue has hosted 19 ODIs between 1982 and 2019.

As per Cricbuzz, the last ODI at the venue was played between India and West Indies on December 22, 2019.