Former India player reacts to Shreyas Iyer’s snub from Test squad for England series, says ‘I think he will be very disappointed’
New Delhi: The 18-player team for the forthcoming Test series against England, which begins on June 20, was revealed by the BCCI. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements have given younger players more opportunities. It was surprising that Shreyas Iyer, a batsman who routinely produces excellent results, was left out of the group.
After losing his BCCI central contract, Shreyas Iyer’s impressive play in domestic competitions resulted in its reinstatement. In the end, his comeback to the national squad was guaranteed by his noteworthy contributions to India’s World Cup run and the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL title, as well as his outstanding performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophies. With multiple half-centuries and significant contributions in pivotal games, he was instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy victory.
Despite his strong performance, Indian batter Iyer was not selected for the Test team. Former Indian fast bowler Atul Wassan expressed his dissatisfaction with this decision on the OTTplay show “Bails and Banter,” highlighting Iyer’s mature and controlled batting style.
“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 expressed concern that Shreyas Iyer, despite a strong IPL performance (435 runs), was overlooked for Test selection in England, receiving only one previous appearance where he scored 34 runs. The selection committee instead chose Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh, both IPL 2025 standouts, for their Test debuts. Iyer’s desire to play Test cricket for India was also highlighted, saying, “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.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named 25-year-old Shubman Gill captain of the Indian Test team. This appointment has generated mixed fan responses, with some viewing Gill as a possible successor to Virat Kohli. Wassan voiced approval, highlighting Gill’s preparation and suitability to lead the team’s younger players.
“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.
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