India’s Head Coach Explains Team Rotation, Backs Iyer’s Crucial Role in ODIs
Ahmedabad (Gujarat), February 13:
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has put to rest the speculation surrounding Shreyas Iyer’s selection in the ODI series against England, asserting that the batter was always part of the team’s plans despite initial uncertainty over his spot.
India dominated England in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, clinching a commanding 142-run victory to complete a 3-0 series sweep. However, Shreyas Iyer’s statement after the first ODI in Nagpur—where he revealed that a last-minute call from Rohit Sharma confirmed his selection—sparked debate over whether he was originally meant to be benched for the series.
With Virat Kohli’s knee issue opening a spot in the playing XI, Iyer grabbed the opportunity, scoring 181 runs at an average of 60.33 across the three matches, including a match-winning 78 off 64 balls in the final ODI.
Gambhir Explains Selection Strategy & Rotation Policy
Gambhir addressed the controversy, explaining that the management had planned to test Yashasvi Jaiswal in ODIs, given his strong form in Australia.
“On Shreyas Iyer, he wasn’t supposed to be benched throughout the series. We wanted to give Yashasvi a go in the first game and see what he could bring to the table because he was in really good form in Australia. So we wanted to see what kind of innings he can play,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
Despite Iyer’s strong performances at No. 4, Gambhir emphasized that squad rotation was necessary ahead of the Champions Trophy, beginning on February 19.
“I know that one inning; you can’t judge someone by one inning. But we always knew that Shreyas was going to be an important player for us. Forget about the World Cup—he’s just an important player,” Gambhir added.
Squad Rotation a Key Focus Before Champions Trophy
With only three ODIs before the marquee ICC event, India prioritized rotating players to assess their bench strength.
“Sometimes, when you’ve only got three games, you want to rotate your squad as well. For today, we could have easily played Shami, but we wanted to give Arshdeep a go. We could have played Jadeja as well, but we gave Washington a go,” Gambhir explained.
“When you’ve got the Champions Trophy around the corner, you want to maximize these games and give everyone an opportunity. But Shreyas was always in the scheme of things, and it’s good that he played all three games,” he added.
As India fine-tunes its squad, Gambhir also praised the performances of young players like Harshit Rana and R Ashwin, who impressed in their limited opportunities.
With India now shifting focus to the Champions Trophy, the competition for spots in the playing XI remains intense, but Iyer’s consistency at No. 4 has strengthened his case as a key middle-order batter for the tournament.