'He still needs to work a little bit on his red-ball game...': Uncertainty looms over Shreyas Iyer's inclusion in India's Test squad against England

India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli's retirement has created a few opportunities in the India squad for the England series. India have a few backup openers who can fill Rohit Sharma's spot in the playing XI, like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, who can open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, but the number four remains an issue. Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan are currently leading the race, and there is Shreyas Iyer in the fray as well after his tremendous domestic performance and success for India in white-ball cricket.

After getting dropped from the Indian squad, the middle-order batter impressed everyone with his domestic performance and made a remarkable comeback from the white ball series against England, and he also featured in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where unbeaten India defeated New Zealand in the final to win the title. Despite that performance, his chances for selection for the England Test squad are very unlikely. The Telegraph quoted a BCCI insider who revealed that Iyer's chances of getting picked in the India squad are not great.

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“If India were to play a home series, Shreyas’s chances of selection would have been fine. But on an overseas tour, against the quicks, his chances don’t really look great,” the report quoted the BCCI insider.

“See, the general feeling is that he still needs to work a little bit on his red-ball game. Yes, he has been doing a brilliant job in limited overs, adapting excellently to situations. But Test cricket is a different ballgame.

“The short-ball aside, there will be a lot more swing and movement in England, which makes it imperative to leave the ball as well. Leaving the ball is very important when it comes to batting in England," he added.

“As far as Shreyas is concerned, he’s a naturally aggressive player and looks to score runs quickly. So, curbing his instincts may not be that easy, and that’s one aspect which could go against him before the squad gets finalised,” another Board official told The Telegraph on Thursday.

The five-Test match series between India and England is scheduled to start from June 20. After Rohit Sharma's retirement, there are chances that young batter Shubman Gill will lead the side and Rishabh Pant will be his deputy. The BCCI will most likely to announce India squad today or tomorrow.