Shreyas Iyer is the best even in God's eye: Harbhajan claims divine intervention played its part after Kohli got injured
Harbhajan Singh feels Shreyas Iyer scoring a fifty in the 1st ODI after the fact that he wasn't supposed to play was only possible due to a higher power.
India's Shreyas Iyer scored a priceless 59 runs in the first ODI against England, playing a counter-attacking innings and breaking the back of England's bowling lineup comprising Saqib Mahmood, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Brydon Carse. However, his revelation after the game that he wouldn't have played the series opener had it not been for Virat Kohli's injury was a surprise.
However, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that divine intervention was at play as Shreyas delivered an impressive innings under pressure, turning the contest into a one-sided affair in favour of the hosts.
Praising Shreyas as a proven performer, Harbhajan highlighted the batter's tremendous self-belief, suggesting that his confidence ultimately earned him success, especially when team management considered dropping him. He speculated that the only reason for such a move might have been the desire for a right-left opening combination with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
"The team management has selected him in the squad but they had to decide whether they want to go with him or Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. I think the team is currently trusting Yashasvi more. Maybe the management is looking to have a right-left combination up top. This is how the team went. But I think if the management wanted not to play Shreyas, then the only reason was to have Yashasvi Jaiswal up top," Harbhajan Singh told Hindustan Times on the sidelines of ILT20 in Sharjah.
"Shreyas is a proven performer. He scored a lot of runs in the World Cup. When a player scores so many runs, he thinks he would get opportunities. He is the best in his eye and hence, even God felt the same. He got what no one else thought and what someone else thought for Shreyas, that didn't happen. The player whom you were thinking about dropping, he played such an innings, he made it an one-sided game. The 50 runs he scored, changed the complexion of the game."
'Rishabh Pant will get his chance'
The management opted for KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper-batter in the 1st ODI. While Harbhajan believes Pant will get his opportunity later, he supported the decision to back Rahul for now.
"Rishabh Pant is a very good player but the way the management is thinking right now, it seems like KL Rahul is being preferred as a wicketkeeper-batter option. So now Rishabh Pant will have to wait for his opportunity to come. Dhruv Jurel, Sanju Samson are also in the line. I just hope that the team which is selected right now, performs well. I hope KL Rahul performs well. As far as Rishabh Pant, he will eventually be there in the lineup, be it today or tomorrow," he added.
'Arshdeep Singh is a diamond'
Although Arshdeep Singh did not feature in the first ODI, Harbhajan believes that having a left-arm seamer in the squad is always a valuable option. He praised Arshdeep's impressive performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup and highlighted his growing impact, as the fast bowler nears the milestone of 100 T20I wickets.
"I had said it earlier as well, Arshdeep Singh is a diamond. He is an excellent bowler. He can come into the game at any stage. He took 17-18 wickets in the T20 World Cup. Having a left-arm seamer in the squad is very good. That way you get a different bowler, he has all the skills in the world to be an excellent bowler for India," said Harbhajan.
Lastly, Harbhajan reckons the ILT20 would benefit greatly if Indian cricketers were allowed to showcase their talent in the UAE-based T20 league. "If Indian players come here, it would be cherry on the cake," he said.
"This is the third season of the tournament. The local players here are getting to play. It is a good initiative. The league is just growing, there is a lot of scope. There is a lot of Asian and Indian population here."
