Shreyas Iyer's omission from India's 18-member Test squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England sparked considerable discussion right ahead of the all-important tour. Team India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar publicly stated that there was currently no place for Iyer in the Test squad.
Gautam Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer's snub in India's Test squad for England tour
Amidst this, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed Iyer's omission. Gambhir, who previously mentored Iyer when he captained his team to an IPL trophy, was questioned by a journalist about Iyer's absence from the red-ball format.
Gambhir's response was sharp and direct as he said:
"I am not the selector."
Gambhir has consistently maintained that he has no influence over team selection, despite fans often directing their criticisms towards him for player exclusions. Karun Nair and Sai Sudarshan were selected for the Indian Test squad over Iyer. Iyer had previously been dropped mid-series during the England tour due to poor form in red-ball cricket, although he later regained his form in domestic matches.
Shreyas Iyer has been in exceptional form recently, performing remarkably well at both international and domestic levels. In the Ranji Trophy, he showcased his prowess by smashing two centuries for Mumbai in just five first-class matches.
Currently, Iyer is leading Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025, and has been instrumental in his team's overall success in the ongoing tournament. After 11 years, Punjab Kings have finished at the top of the points table in the league stage, securing a spot in Qualifier 1. This top-two finish provides an extra advantage, allowing Iyer and his team an aggressive approach in the upcoming match. Punjab Kings are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first Qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Iyer's personal performance in IPL 2025 has also been outstanding. He was acquired by Punjab Kings for a staggering INR 23.75 crore, making him the second-most-expensive player in IPL history. Throughout the tournament, Iyer has adopted an aggressive batting approach while effectively leading his team. So far, the PBKS skipper has amassed a total of 514 runs in 14 matches, boasting an impressive average of 51.40, which is the best among all team captains. His strike rate of 171.91 further highlights his impactful batting.
India's Test squad for England
Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh