Iyer out of India’s Test squad for England tour and everyone is surprised. He’s not just in form — he’s firing in all formats.
Even Sourav Ganguly couldn’t hide his surprise, saying Iyer “should have been in this team.”
Over the last year Iyer has ticked all boxes. He was one of India’s top run-scorers in 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.
In IPL 2025 he scored 604 runs in 17 games at a strike rate of 175 — the highest among the top 10.
He led Punjab Kings to their first IPL final in 11 years. The knock on Iyer was always his weakness against the short ball.
But according to Ganguly he’s improved. “He is now scoring under pressure, taking responsibility and playing the short ball well,” Ganguly said.
That’s not just praise — it’s validation from someone who’s seen him up close. And yet the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar didn’t even discuss him seriously.
This feels less like a selection based on form and more like a case of lost faith. When a player fixes his flaws and still doesn’t get picked what more do you expect?
Test cricket is tough but this was the perfect time to test his comeback — especially with Kohli and Rohit missing. Shubman and Pant will lead a young middle order but wouldn’t a proven name like Iyer have helped?
India’s series in England starts on June 20 in Leeds. With Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan likely to play all eyes will be on how India’s new middle order holds up. But one question will remain — was Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion a missed chance?
