Update number 1 : Will Virat Kohli play 2nd ODI against England.
Will Virat Kohli be available in 2nd ODI against England.!? S, Virat Kohli will be available. Virat is recovering. As an official update Virat Kohli will be playing 2nd ODI. There are a lot of confusions about who will be down in playing 11, to replace Virat Kohli.
There are more chances that Yashaswi Jaiswal may be replaced. Rohit Sharma might open with Shubhman Gill. Number 3 will be Virat Kohli for sure and in number 4 Shreyas Iyer might be playing.
The scene is different here in ODI against England. According to previous stats of Shreyas Iyer in the world cup, we thought it was a sure shot selection that Shreyas Iyer would be playing all ODIs.
But, Shreyas Iyer has given a statement that he was not in the playing 11 in the first ODI. He was not about to play at all.
Rohit Sharma told Shreyas that Virat got injured and knees got swollen. Rohit might be knowing prior that Virat will not be playing 1st ODI. Now the chance went to Shreyas Iyer.
‘ I was watching a movie when the skipper called; Be ready Virat has a swollen knee, I rushed back to sleep straight away’
Shreyas Iyer was watching a movie, the night before match day. He thought that he would not be playing. When Rohit said that Virat got injured and shreyas will be replacing Virat. Shreyas went to sleep straight away.
What a performance by Shreyas Iyer! But, we thought that Shreyas Iyer is sure shot selection at number 4. But we do not know why Goutham Gambhir did not select Shreyas Iyer in playing 11. Goutham Gambhir and Rohit Sharma might have thought differently. They do not want to consider Rishabh Pant a sure shot selection! That’s okay. They may want to give more preference to Yashaswi Jaiswal!? But it’s not known. Yashaswi Jaiswal has performed well in test format, they may want to push in ODI format too!? The reason is not known. If we see the recent inning stats, Shreyas Iyer superiors all.
If we see the last 10 innings of Shreyas Iyer in ODI. He has scored 545 runs in just 10 innings with an average of 60.6. When a player keeps an average of 50+, it’s better performance from his hand and Shreyas kept his average, 60+ one should think about his performance With this stats Shreyas Iyer playing the Champions trophy. He has a strike rate of 127 in 10 matches. He should be appreciated for this. Having a 120+ strike rate in ODI is a luxury. Even in T20 many players have a strike rate of less than 120. But Shreyas Iyer maintained a strike rate of 120+ in ODIs. His total includes 2 hundreds and 4 fifties. It is the best stats a player can hold in playing 11. What else can we expect apart from these types of stats!. But we do not know Why he was not included in playing 11 in the first ODI. He was selected as a back up to the injured players.
He gave a statement saying that he played 1st ODI because Virat Kohli got injured. He wouldn’t have played if Virat Kohli had played 1st ODI. All the credit should go to Virat Kohli. Says Shreyas Iyer after the match.
” I wouldn’t have been playing this 1st ODI match if Virat was fit for this match”
Seriously, it was funny keeping Shreyas Iyer a back up option. He has good stats and performed well in World Cup. There is meaning in seeing Rishabh Pant, Yashaswi Jaiswal as back options. There is no meaning in seeing Shreyas Iyer a back up option in ODIs. They can keep Shreyas Iyer as a back up option in T20 not in ODIs. Still two matches left against England. We all expect Shreyas Iyer in playing 11 and straight away to the champions trophy too.
Update number 2: Why are Indian cricket officials not in ICC champions trophy 2025
ICC officially announced match officials for the Champions trophy 2025. 3 match referee and 12 umpires have been announced.
It’s surprising, for the first time ,no match officials are announced from India. No Indian umpire and no Indian match referee to the champions trophy 2025. At least we expect one match official from every nation which is participating in the tournament. But , this time no match official i.e umpire or match referee from India.
Nithin Menon, an India umpire who was participating in all the ICC tournaments, will not be going to Pakistan as an umpire. Nithin Menon’s name was first in the list. But l, Nithin Menon requested himself that he will not be going to Pakistan. He withdrew as an umpire from Champions trophy.
J Srinath was a match referee for many matches in ICC international tournaments. And was a match referee for recent India versus England T20 tournament and for ongoing ODI series too. J Srinath also applied a request to the ICC and withdrew as a match referee from Champions trophy. He was a match referee for too many matches since 4-5 months and hence need leave, The request made by him to ICC.
Both J Srinath and Nithin Menon withdrew as a match officials from the Champions trophy. Nithin Menon directly said that he will not be going to Pakistan. And J Srinath indirectly took a leave as he was tired from the recent matches.
Announced match officials
Match Referees
David Boon
Ranjan Madugalle
Andrew Pycroft
Umpires
Kumar Dharmasena
Chris caffaney
Michael couch
Andrian Holdstock
Richard Illincworth
Richard kettleborouch
Ahsan Raza
Paul Reffiel
Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
Rodney Tucker
Alex Warf
Joel Wilson
No Indians in the match officials list. May BCCI or Indian government have gone to match officials and not allowing them to go Pakistan? It’s unknown, still a question. All the umpires and match Referees should be neutral. It’s looking like there is a pressure on these officials from the BCCI. If they go to Pakistan, Indians will see them as country betrayers. That might be the reason. It’s a big tournament how one can withdrew their positions. Umpires do not series thnn how can one miss big tournaments like Champions trophy.
None of the Indian are going ,including captain Rohit sharma. So, it’s just a reason that they do not want to go as none of the Indians are going. What a courageous India, showing cruelty against Pakistan.