"Has to be his best one-day innings that I've seen" - Sanjay Manjrekar showers massive praise on Team India star after 1st IND vs ENG ODI 2025

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was impressed by Shreyas Iyer's counter-attack during India's run chase in the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. The right-handed batter scored a quickfire 59 runs off 36 deliveries after coming into bat at 19-2 in the sixth over, as the Men in Blue were set a target of 249.

Iyer had to overcome an early short-ball barrage from Jofra Archer and went on to put the pressure back on the visitors. He looked in ominous touch before being trapped in front by Jacob Bethell while trying to play a sweep shot in the 16th over.

England captain Jos Buttler termed Iyer's partnership with Gill as the turning point as they bailed India out of a precarious situation.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar labeled Iyer's fifty as his best ODI knock so far while branding him as the most effective player of the match.

"Not only was he effective, but he was damn good. His innings was just high quality, he did not put a foot wrong. I know it was not a big hundred, but it has to be his best one-day innings that I have seen," Manjrekar said.

"This was just Shreyas Iyer, reacting to high-quality bowling. He seems to have worked out a beautiful backfoot game. He's always been a backfoot player, but had the tendency to open up, which he is not doing anymore. You saw all the shots possible, and there was a lot of orthodox-sy as well," he added.

Shreyas Iyer was a last-minute inclusion in the playing XI following Virat Kohli's knee injury on the eve of the contest.

"I'm sure there is some connection with him playing those domestic matches" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Shreyas Iyer's knock in 1st IND vs ENG ODI 2025

During Team India's home season, when Iyer found himself out of the red-ball side, he was involved in Mumbai's domestic campaign. He led the heavyweights in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaigns.

"The way he batted today, just the technique and the ball hitting that was happening, it was very very compact, and a very good innings like a well-oiled machinery. If domestic cricket has helped him to just get into the groove, then all the arguments that we are hearing about the big names not playing domestic cricket, here's an example," Manjrekar said in the same disussion.

"Because Shreyas Iyer, the way he played, I'm sure there is some connection with him playing those domestic matches," he concluded.

The right-handed batter had a prolific Vijay Hazare Trophy season where he scored 325 runs in five innings at an average of 325 and a strike rate of 131.57.