New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer was part of the playing XI for the first ODI against England but the announcement of his inclusion came in the most unexpected way. Iyer revealed that he was informed by Indian captain Rohit Sharma late at night that he would be playing in the first match. The inclusion of Shreyas was due to the absence of Virat Kohli who missed the match because of knee swelling. This last-minute decision placed Shreyas in the team as a replacement for Kohli but the cricketer remained ready to step up and contribute to the team’s success. Why Yashasvi Jaiswal Was Preferred Over Shreyas Iyer? India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak shed light on the decision to prefer Yashasvi Jaiswal over Shreyas Iyer in the first ODI. Kotak explained that this decision was made by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. However he refrained from elaborating on why Jaiswal was given the preference over Iyer for this particular match. This decision sparked some discussions but Kotak did not go into further detail about the reasons behind it. Shreyas’s Last-Minute Place in the First Match Although Shreyas Iyer was included in the playing XI for the first ODI he made it clear that he had been informed of this late at night by Rohit Sharma. The timing of the decision was crucial as it allowed Shreyas to step in for Virat Kohli who was sidelined due to knee swelling. In a reassuring update Kotak confirmed that Kohli had recovered and would be fit to play the second ODI putting to rest any concerns about his fitness. Shreyas Iyer’s Half-Century in the First Match Shreyas Iyer made a significant impact in the first ODI with a stellar performance. After both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed early Iyer came to the rescue scoring a quickfire 59 runs off just 36 balls. His vital innings helped India recover from a tricky situation and play a crucial role in securing a win in the opening match of the three-match series. Kotak on Rohit Sharma’s Form Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also addressed concerns surrounding the form of captain Rohit Sharma. With some questions raised about his recent performances Kotak quickly dismissed these worries. He assured that Rohit’s dip in form was merely a passing phase and not something to be overly concerned about. Kotak highlighted Rohits strong showing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka and stated that his recent struggles in Australia wouldn’t impact his performance in limited-overs cricket.