Shreyas Iyer's Ongoing Struggles with India's Test Selection

Shreyas Iyer's Absence from Test Series

Shreyas Iyer is likely to be sidelined for the upcoming Test series between India and England, which kicks off on June 20. Interestingly, despite significant retirements from the team, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Iyer's name continues to fade from the selectors' radar. With players like Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair expected to be included, Iyer's focus on white-ball cricket seems to have hindered his chances in the longer format.

India is still on the lookout for a reliable middle-order batsman, but reports suggest that Iyer is not part of those considerations. The Punjab Kings captain has participated in 14 Test matches, with his last appearance being against England at home. Since then, Sarfaraz Khan has risen through the ranks, and Karun Nair has intensified the competition with an impressive domestic season, alongside the emergence of Sai Sudharsan.

While it's clear that Iyer possesses the talent to compete at the highest level, the selection committee appears to believe that his future lies in white-ball formats. In 2023, he excelled for India during the World Cup and played a crucial role in their Champions Trophy victory in Dubai.

Unfortunately for Iyer, he has faced yet another setback. Not only was he excluded from the India A squad for the England tour, but he must be wondering what else he needs to achieve. The team is currently led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, who will be participating in several four-day matches against the England Lions, along with an intra-squad match against the senior players. Meanwhile, the selectors seem to be favoring Nair, Sarfaraz, and Sudharsan, indicating a shift in their preferences.

If I were in Iyer's position, I would feel quite frustrated. He recently scored 480 runs in five Ranji Trophy matches, including two centuries for Mumbai. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in leading the Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 playoffs and has been accumulating trophies with both Mumbai and KKR over the past year. What more could the selectors possibly want from him?