Shreyas Iyer is set to be overlooked for the India vs England Test series starting on June 20. Despite the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Mumbai batter has fallen down the pecking order. Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair are set to travel, with Shreyas’ renewed focus on white-ball cricket hurting his chances.
White ball specialist Shreyas Iyer overlooked for India vs England series
India’s search for a middle order batter continues but Shreyas Iyer is not among those in contention as per reports. The Punjab Kings captain has featured in 14 Tests, the last of which came at home against England. Since then, Shreyas has been sidelined with Sarfaraz Khan ahead in the pecking order. Karun Nair’s record breaking domestic season and Sai Sudharsan’s rise to prominence meant that competition for places was always rising.
And while Shreyas can match up to any cricketer on his day, the selectors believe his game is now much more tailored to white ball cricket. Iyer was one of the shining lights in India’s run to the 2023 World Cup Final. He also played a major role in India’s Champions Trophy win in Dubai.
“Iyer’s new stance, bold strokeplay, and carefree attitude to batting are all suited to the white-ball game now. The selectors aren’t convinced about his red-ball skills,” a source in the know told TOI.
Shreyas was also omitted from the India A squad touring England. The development squad, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, will play 2 four-day games against England Lions. They will also play a intra-squad game against the senior men’s team. Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan and Sai Sudharsan all made the cut, further highlighting the selector’s direction of thought.
Shreyas, however, will feel hard done by. He had a fine Ranji Trophy campaign, scoring 480 runs in 5 games for Mumbai with 2 centuries. He has led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 playoffs, having won titles with Mumbai and Kolkata Knight Riders in the last 12 months.
