Shreyas Iyer's Test omission despite 68.57 average in Ranji Trophy raises eyebrows: ‘There was space for him'
The All India Selection Committee picked the squad for the five Tests against England, in which a couple of omissions did raise some eyebrows, one of which was Shreyas Iyer's absence. The middle-order batter, who played a crucial role in India's Champions Trophy-winning campaign, was left out of the squad as the selectors went ahead with Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair for the big tour. Iyer, who was once touted to replace Ajinkya Rahane in the middle-order, last played a Test for India in May 2024 against England. He was left out of the Test set-up after his weakness against short balls was exposed on the big stage, but the Mumbaikar worked on it during the domestic season and bounced back well in the Champions Trophy with some tweaks in his technique.
However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar asserted that Iyer has to prove himself more in red-ball domestic cricket to get a call-up to the Test team.
Former India batter Robin Uthappa was stoked not to see Iyer in the Test squad despite his fine Ranji campaign last season, during which he scored 480 runs at an average of 68.57 in seven innings.
"He [Iyer] played five matches in Ranji Trophy in this past season, averaging about 58 or 60, 450-odd runs. So, dominant force in Indian cricket. We know his leadership ability and quality. I really felt that there was space for him as a backup batter in the middle order," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
He further said that Iyer should be the first one picked in case of injury on the tour.
"If there's any injury, I'm hoping that he's the one who gets picked. I don't think you can keep him away from those whites for too long," he added.
Agar also claimed that premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was also one of the contenders to become the next Test captain, might not play all five Tests against England due to workload management.
Uthappa advised that when Bumrah is unavailable, Arshdeep Singh should be the automatic choice to replace him.
"If Bumrah is not playing, I will certainly play Arshdeep Singh because I think he will be more than a handful in Test cricket with the red ball. I think he's very underrated as a red-ball bowler, and we will see the full depth of his prowess in Test cricket. I'm happy that he's getting to play as a filler to Bumrah because he'll bring the same level of effectiveness as far as I'm concerned, my gut," he remarked.
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