The thing that happened with Shreyas Iyer during the fourth T20I match between the India National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team was bizarre to say the least.
And the former India opener Aakash Chopra, who also shared the dressing room with the current head coach Gautam Gambhir during his playing days, was not happy seeing the disrespect faced by Shreyas Iyer.
Shreyas Iyer kept on the bench as Arshdeep Singh replaces Ishan Kishan
India found themselves in a tricky spot for the fourth T20I match against the Kiwis, which was held at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday, January 28.
The wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who has been in red-hot form, picked up a niggle. Naturally, when a batter gets injured, another batter replaces him in the playing XI. Right? Makes sense?
India had a great spare batter on the bench in Shreyas Iyer. The Punjab Kings captain was added to the squad as a replacement for Tilak Varma and is one of the best T20 batters in the country.
In an ideal world, he should have walked straight into the playing XI in place of Ishan Kishan. But no, it isn't an ideal world, and Gautam Gambhir-led team management made a shocking call, replacing Ishan Kishan with a pacer - Arshdeep Singh.
This led to India having just six batters in the playing XI alongwith four proper bowlers and one all-rounder in Harshit Rana. Cricket fans and experts were left totally shocked seeing Shreyas Iyer being disrespected, and they openly bashed the Indian team management.
I find it slightly baffling - Aakash Chopra tears apart Gautam Gambhir
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Aakash Chopra said that the niggle picked up by Ishan Kishan was an extraordinary scenario, and Shreyas Iyer should have been played in the fourth T20I even though he is not part of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad. He elaborated:
"I find it slightly baffling. I was of the opinion that India did the right thing by playing both Sanju [Samson] and Ishan when Tilak was unavailable even though Shreyas Iyer was picked in the team. Shreyas is not in the World Cup squad and I get it. But when you lose Ishan as well, then Iyer must play. If you're going to go in with just six batters, I mean, that's not right. And I'm not even talking about the result.
"If you are not going to play Shreyas Iyer at all, which is quite clear now, irrespective of who goes out, then pick Ayush Badoni or Shahbaz Ahmed or somebody else - some youngster who gets an opportunity to be in the Indian dressing room and not Shreyas Iyer. He's not going to benefit one bit just warming the bench and watching five games from outside."
We have already won the series, so we should have prepared for the World Cup - Aakash Chopra
Speaking after the match, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that they made the decision to play just six batters to challenge themselves with the T20 World Cup around the corner.
Aakash Chopra was also furious with that statement, as he said that if everything is being done with an eye on the T20 World Cup 2026, India should have batted first after winning the toss. He stated:
"If we are looking at everything with an eye on the T20 World Cup, we should have won batted first after winning the toss. We have already won the series, so we should have prepared for the World Cup. Maybe you might have to defend a total with a wet ball on some day. This was an opportunity thatI ndia let go."
Also Read: Sanju Samson Finishes Off In Style! Manifesting India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Dream
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