Shreyas played a match-winning knock of 59 in the first ODI against England in Nagpur.
The middle-order batter scored 59 off 36 balls during the series opener in the chase of 249. His knock guided India to four-wicket victory and it came when the hosts were struggling at 19/2.
However, a report published in PTI claimed that Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to continue as an opener, thanks to the team management’s preference for left-right hand combinations with the bat.
The report further stated Iyer Shreyas absent from India’s option nets session on Saturday (February 8), the eve of the second ODI.
Virat Kohli, who missed the first game due to a minor knee injury, batted for nearly an hour. He went through his warm-up routine, before looking in complete control against local net bowlers.
If Kohli comes in for Iyer, he’ll be reportedly pushed to number four. The veteran star last batted there in 2020.
After scripting India’s win in the first ODI, Shreyas Iyer made a shocking revelation, saying that he wouldn't have featured in the match had it not been for Virat Kohli's injury.
“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," Iyer had told the broadcasters.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was asked about the team combination in the pre-match presser of the second ODI, but he remained non-committal.
“That’s something for the head coach and captain to decide. Yes, the left-right combination is an important factor, but that’s not a question for me to answer," Kotak told reporters.
(With PTI Inputs)