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Shreyas Iyer Should Have Been Part Of India's Test Squad For England Tour: Sourav Ganguly
Follow UsIyer, who last played a Test in February 2024, has been in stunning form across all three formats
Former India captain and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly feels in-form Shreyas Iyer should have been part of India’s Test squad for the five-match series in England, starting on June 20 at Headingley.
Iyer, who last played a Test in February 2024, has been in stunning form across all three formats. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Iyer led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final, where they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He smashed 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
Iyer also featured in five games for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, scoring 480 runs across seven innings at an average of 68.57 and a strike rate of more than 90. Despite his form, the Indian selectors have ignored him for the England series.
“He has been playing at his best in the last one year, and should have been in this team. Last one year has been fantastic for him. He isn’t the player who got left out. He is now scoring under pressure, taking responsibility, playing the short ball well. Although Test cricket’s different, I would have had him in this series to see what he can do," Ganguly told RevSportz.
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having retired from red-ball cricket, India have picked a fairly inexperienced side for the England series. Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new captain, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant being his deputy. In the bowling department, India have Jasprit Bumrah, but he is not expected to play in every game.
“We just need two things, batting well and [Jasprit] Bumrah remaining fit. We won in Australia, in Melbourne (2020-21), with a young batting line-up, having no Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. So, I do not see why we cannot win,” said Ganguly.