On Friday, January 16, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced the comeback of the star batsman, Shreyas Iyer, to the T20I setup of the India National Cricket Team.
Along with Shreyas Iyer, the young leg-spin bowling sensation Ravi Bishnoi has made his India T20I comeback for the upcoming series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team.
Shreyas Iyer finally makes T20I comeback
Iyer is regarded as one of the best batters in India, particularly in white-ball cricket. In ODI cricket, he has time and again showed why he deserves to be India’s No.4 for a long period and played several match-winning knocks in the format.
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Shreyas Iyer has sealed his place in the ODI setup for the future and is the designated vice-captain of the side. He received the leadership role in the Indian team following the exit of Rohit Sharma as the skipper and promotion of Shubman Gill at the helm.
Many rate Shreyas Iyer the captain higher than Gill, but the BCCI sees a long-term captaincy prospect in the latter. Meanwhile, Iyer finds himself back in the scheme of things for T20Is for the first time since December 2023.
This happened on the back of his stunning IPL season with the Punjab Kings where he led the team to the final and slammed 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07. Iyer would also be eyeing to deliver a good performance if he gets the chance to play because this would eventually help him get closer to the T20I captaincy.
Notably, Shreyas Iyer has replaced Tilak Varma in the T20I squad for the first three matches of the series against New Zealand as the youngster is currently down injured. On the other hand, Ravi Bishnoi has replaced Washington Sundar, who has been ruled out of all five matches.
Here’s BCCI’s official statement on the matter:
“Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January. This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and has been advised rest for a few days, following which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury,” the BCCI stated.
“The all-rounder has been ruled out of the upcoming IDFC First Bank T201 series against New Zealand. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Ravi Bishnoi as his replacement.
“The Men’s Selection Committee has also added Shreyas lyer to the T20I squad for the first three matches as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma,” the BCCI said in an official statement.
India’s Updated T20I Squad vs New Zealand:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas lyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
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