After an impactful knock in the first ODI against England, middle order batter Shreyas Iyer will likely to be benched for the second ODI which is scheduled to take place on February 9 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. Iyer revealed during the first ODI that his place in the playing XI was confirmed after Virat Kohli missed the clash due to a knee injury.
After India's poor start in the first ODI, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer stitched a partnership that helped the hosts to make a comeback in the chase. Iyer scored 59 off 36 runs.
As India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak already confirmed that Kohli is fit to play in the second ODI, it seems that Iyer will be the man sacrificed for the second ODI. In the pre-match press conference, Sitanshu Kotak was also asked about Iyer's selection issue, but he decided to dodge the question, putting the onus on head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma.
With India management backing for a left-right combination, debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to retain his place at the top alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, pushing Kohli to No. 4.
Reflecting on his unexpected call-up in the first ODI, Iyer had earlier said: "I was watching a movie last night, thinking I could stay up late, but then I got a call from the skipper saying I might have to play because Virat had a swollen knee. I rushed back to my room and went straight to sleep." While Kohli looked in sublime touch, Rohit Sharma had a rough outing at the nets, getting cleaned up twice by local OCA net bowlers -- hardly an encouraging sight for the Indian skipper.
After winning the first ODI by four wickets, the Rohit Sharma-led side are currently leading 1-0 in the three-match ODIs. After finishing the white ball series against England, Team India will travel to Dubai for the Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to start from February 19.