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On May 24, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced Shubman Gill as India's new Test captain of the 18-man squad for England tour. Shreyas Iyer was one of the prominent players who missed out on making it to the squad. While many questioned the snub, former England spinner Monty Panesar decoded why Agarkar did not pick Iyer in the side. He feels that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain's technique isn't suited for England conditions where a batter shouldn't always go hard at the ball as there is enough swing for the pacers. He wants Iyer to take the County Cricket route.
"Shreyas Iyer's got a very good technique against flat tracks and bouncy pitches. I think the swinging conditions, maybe his technique doesn't line up at the moment. That's what I think. Because I think his hands are a bit hard. He hasn't got the soft touch, playing late with the swing ball. Seeing the swing early and playing late, he does come hard at the ball," Panesar told Hindustan Times.
"So, I think technique-wise, his game probably isn't suited for swinging conditions at the moment. And that's why they probably thought that, give some of the other players a go whose game is suited against swinging-seeming conditions. In terms of Shreyas Iyer, to get into the Test team, I think he needs to play county cricket.
"If he's serious about playing Test cricket, he needs to find a county and play a season of county cricket. And then, prove to the selectors that his technique is up to standard against a swimming string and ball."
Iyer roars back in form
Iyer played his last Test against England in Hyderabad in 2024. Since then, he hasn't made a comeback in the Test squad. However, he has been in good form in white-ball cricket. He was India's highest run-scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The 30-year-old has played just one Test in England and scored 34 runs. He was in good form in Ranji Trophy 2024-25, scoring 480 runs from seven innings, including a double century. His strike rate was 90.22, very Bazball-like. In the ongoing IPL 2025, he has crossed the 500-run mark as well.
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