Gautam Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav Asked Tough Shreyas Iyer Question: "What's The Logic?"
Shreyas Iyer remained on bench as India opted to play a bowler to replace batter Ishan Kishan in the playing XI vs New Zealand in the fourth T20I.
- India, led by Suryakumar Yadav and coached by Gautam Gambhir, surprised with its playing XI for 4th NZ T20I
- As Ishan Kishan missed out, Shreyas Iyer seemed an obvious replacement. However, India picked Arshdeep Singh
- "Why have you kept Shreyas Iyer in team? What's the logic of making him sit out now?" Akash Chopra questioned
The Indian cricket team, led by Suryakumar Yadav and coached by Gautam Gambhir, surprised everyone with its playing XI for the fourth T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand on Wednesday. Batter Ishan Kishan picked up a niggle and missed the game in Visakhapatnam. While Shreyas Iyer seemed an obvious choice to fill the void, the host team roped in a bowler in Arshdeep Singh, thus going one batter short in the game. It cost India big as the side was bowled out for 165 in the chase of 216 under batting-friendly conditions.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has criticised the snub of Iyer, and questioned the logic behind such a strange decision.
"My biggest point is, why have you kept Shreyas Iyer in the team? When Tilak Varma got injured, I was the one who said Shreyas shouldn't be played because his name is not in the World Cup squad. However, when Ishan Kishan got injured, you had no other batter sitting outside," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"Shreyas wasn't in the initial plans, but we cannot play with six batters and five proper bowlers, with Harshit Rana at No. 7. I dare say, what's the logic of making Shreyas Iyer sit out now? If you didn't want to play him, you could have kept Ayush Badoni or Shahbaz Ahmed. I can take four other names you could have kept," he added.
All-round, New Zealand outplayed India by 50 runs in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. Having already lost the series, the Black Caps bounced back with an improved show in Visakhapatnam. The visitors scored 215 for seven after getting an invitation to bat first. They were off to a flying start, with Tim Seifert (62 off 36 balls) and Devon Conway (44 off 23) adding 100 runs in just 8.2 overs. However, the Indian bowlers pulled things back somewhat in the back 10, with Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav picking up two wickets each, before Daryl Mitchell provided the late impetus with an 18-ball 39.
In the chase, India lost Abhishek Sharma on the very first ball. New Zealand kept tightening the noose from there, eventually bowling out the hosts for 165 despite a sensational knock by Shivam Dube. He scored 65 off 23 balls with the help of three fours and seven sixes.
India Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir