Playing his first ODI after more than eight months, Shreyas Iyer walked out to bat when India lost their star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the powerplay overs against Pakistan. Iyer hit his first boundary of the innings off Haris Rauf in the eighth over. In doing so, Iyer chipped his bat. However, the ball breached the 30-yard circle and flew towards the boundary.
The Mumbai-born batter hit another boundary in the over. Rauf bowled it too straight and Iyer flicked it past the mid-on fielder for a boundary. But Iyer could not go on to get a big score. Once again, it was the short ball that got the better of him. Iyer timed the pull shot well but could not clear the midwicket fielder Fakhar Zaman. He got out in the 10th over after scoring 14 runs from nine deliveries.
Before making his return to international cricket, Iyer told broadcasters that he was nervous and could not get sleep at the night before India’s Asia Cup 2023 opener.
"I never imagined I'll be playing Asia Cup. The recovery was slow and steady. I passed the fitness test one week before selection, and I was really happy with that. I was nervous last night, couldn't sleep," the 28-year-old said.
Iyer underwent surgery due to a recurring back injury. He completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru alongside KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and others. He said that he was ready for the challenge from current no.1 ranked team in the world.
"I am super excited to play this match against Pakistan. It's a phenomenal feeling to be honest as they are the number 1 team at the moment. Delighted to be playing against these (Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah) bowlers, the plan is just to watch the ball and play according to the situation," he added.
Iyer made his last ODI appearance in January 2023 against Sri Lanka where he contributed with 38 runs from 32 balls.
Earlier, Indian skipper Rohit won the toss and opted to bat first at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Amidst rain interruptions, India lost four wickets for 66 runs in 15 overs.
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