Shreyas Iyer's mental state 'unimaginable' after England snub: 'He thought this was the time to settle in Test team'
Shreyas Iyer was left out of India's 18-member Test squad for the tour of England, which was announced by the BCCI earlier in the day.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday unveiled Team India's 18-member squad for the upcoming Test series against England, which will commence on 20 June. The retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket has paved the way for a new generation of talent to step into the spotlight, with several young players earning their spots in the national side. Among those expected to make a return to the Test team was Shreyas Iyer, a batter renowned for his consistency at both domestic and international levels. Despite his impressive performances over the past year, Iyer was surprisingly omitted from the squad, leaving a whole lot of people surprised.
Shreyas was India's second-highest run-getter in the 2023 World Cup and even captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title last year. Despite being stripped of BCCI's central contract, Iyer sweated it out in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, notching up a string of impressive performances. Iyer's remarkable batting earned him back a BCCI contract, after which he played a key role in India's victorious Champions Trophy campaign, scoring half-centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand, and innings of 45 against Australia in the semi-final and 48 more against the Kiwis in the summit clash.
However, it wasn't enough to bring Iyer back into the Test fold. During the eighth episode of Bails and Banter on OTTplay, former Indian pacer Atul Wassan voiced his disappointment over the batter's exclusion, emphasising the batter's maturity and measured approach.
"Shreyas Iyer's name is not mentioned in the Test team for India for the England tour. We cannot imagine what his mental stage is, and Kuldeep Yadav got selected from his team. So I think there is once sadness and once happiness," Wassan said.
"I think Shreyas will be very disappointed because of the way he batted and proved his maturity and sensibility so he deserved to be in the Indian squad for the England tour and I am shocked because there is no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and even after this Shreyas who was really ready was opted out and selected some other players which is also right but Shreyas should have been there."
He felt Iyer, who's played just one Test in England, scoring 34 runs, was hard done, because the selection committee handed maiden call-ups to Sai Sudharsan and his Punjab Kings teammate Arshdeep, both of whom have done well in the ongoing IPL 2025. Iyer himself has scored 435 runs. Both Iyer and Arshdeep Singh are facing off against Delhi Capitals tonight. Wassan underscored Iyer's ambition to represent India in the longest format, stating, "Every player wants to play Test cricket, and Shreyas must be thinking that he has missed the opportunity because this was the time to settle in the Test team."
Wassan on Shubman Gill as captain
In a significant move, the BCCI appointed 25-year-old Shubman Gill as the captain of the Indian Test team, a decision that has sparked varied reactions among fans. Some see Gill as a potential successor to Kohli's leadership legacy. Wassan endorsed the selectors' choice, praising Gill's grooming and readiness to lead a young and dynamic squad.
"I believe it's the right decision to appoint Gill as the captain; he is the one who can lead India in all three formats for the next 5-6 years. He's a good batter who can lead the team and set an example by himself by taking charge. So yes, it's the right call," he said.
