Shreyas Iyer isn’t a regular in India’s Test or T20I team. Considering this, it would have made sense for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to include him in India A’s squad for the upcoming one-day series against Australia A. But that isn’t the case.
Reason behind India A snub?
One could say that perhaps the selectors felt that domestic performers should have been given a preference. But Shreyas did feature for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT). He wasn’t the best performer, taking the sheer volume of runs into account, but the 30-year-old really was one of the most dangerous batters.
Everyone remembers how Karun Nair scored 779 runs in 8 innings and was dismissed just once. But Shreyas wasn’t far behind. In 5 innings, the batter from Mumbai scored 325 runs at a 131.57 strike rate. His average was 325, since he was dismissed just once. His 2 hundreds came in the first innings, and Shreyas remained unbeaten both times.
So, again comes the question, why wasn’t he selected for India A? Is it just that BCCI wishes to rest him and give younger players a chance? If yes, why is Rajat Patidar, his senior by 2 years, selected and named captain for the first match? Or maybe it could be that Shreyas could be returning to India’s Test team?
Solid Ranji Trophy performance
Although he didn’t do well in the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, Shreyas was exceptional in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. He couldn’t play the entire season due to Team India commitments, but when he did feature, he was exceptional. He didn’t make use of all of his starts, but when he did, Shreyas went big.
While batting at number five, he scored 146 against Maharashtra, and in the next match, he got 233 against Odisha. Granted, these aren’t the toughest domestic teams, but Shreyas scored his runs in the middle order. As things stand, that spot is up for grabs, with Nair failing to make it his own against England.
Test comeback on the cards?
We know Shreyas’ prowess against spin. That Bangladesh knock will always make people remember how well he can play in spin-friendly conditions, even if the ball keeps low. At this point, he’s also perhaps at his peak across formats, and BCCI might be thinking of taking advantage of that.
Not to forget, India lost the last Test series they played at home against New Zealand. It may just happen that Shreyas will be added to India’s squad for the West Indies series as India’s new number five or six, if Rishabh Pant isn’t fit for selection.
