Gautam Gambhir hints at Shreyas Iyer's inclusion in India's Test squad for England tour, says 'Anyone can be called if they are in...'

Shreyas Iyer still has an outside chance to make it to the India's Test squad for the England tour which is set to start from June 20. Right ahead of the all-important series, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir said that anyone can be called in India's squad if they are in good form.

Shreyas Iyer recently concluded an exceptional Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, amassing 604 runs across 17 innings with an impressive average of 50.33 and a striking strike rate of 175.07. His leadership prowess was also on full display as he became the first captain in IPL history to guide three different franchises to the tournament finals. In the recently concluded IPL 2025, Iyer's astute captaincy played a pivotal role in propelling Punjab Kings to the final for the first time in eleven years.

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Given his stellar performance in the IPL, many fans and cricket experts expressed surprise and disappointment at Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India's 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test tour of England, commencing on June 20th. This omission led to speculation about whether the 30-year-old's opportunities in India's red-ball setup had come to an end.However, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed Iyer's exclusion, clarifying that any player demonstrating good form and the ability to perform is always in contention for a place in the national side. While acknowledging Iyer's strong IPL season, Gambhir explained the logistical constraints of selecting a Test squad, stating that with only 18 slots available, it becomes impossible to accommodate every deserving player.

“Anyone can be called. Anyone can be called if they are in good form. We could only pick 18, and the chairman of the selection committee has already answered that question (why Iyer was not picked). For me, it’s always about being open to people who are in good form, who can come in and deliver," Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference on June 5.

When questioned about Shreyas Iyer's absence from the Test squad the previous week, Gautam Gambhir clarified that he does not hold the position of selector. It is noteworthy that Iyer was India's highest scorer and the second-highest overall during their successful Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, where he accumulated 243 runs in five innings at an average of 48.60.

Shreyas Iyer's most recent Test appearance was in February 2022 against England in Visakhapatnam.

India's squad for England tour

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

England squad for first Test against India:

Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes