Fans upset as Shreyas Iyer left out of India-A squad for England
His non-inclusion in the A team is a worrying sign, particularly after a domestic season in which he scored at an average of 68.57 in the Ranji Trophy
The BCCI on Friday (May 16) announced the India-A squad that will travel to England ahead of the five-match series to help players acclimatise to the conditions on offer through a few tour games. However, the surprise omission of Shreyas Iyer has left many a cricket fans fuming.
Also read: Ricky Ponting: Shreyas Iyer is a more mature player now
Led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, India-A will take on their English counterparts in three unofficial Tests before the senior team's face-off with England in a five-match Test series.
Great domestic season
Iyer failed to make it to the India-A team despite a strong domestic season in which he honed his game against the red ball. The Punjab Kings captain has also established himself as a true leader, as his team is on the verge of qualifying for the IPL 2025 playoffs. In 11 IPL 2025 matches, PBKS have secured seven wins while losing only three matches.
While Iyer might still be selected in the full squad for the Test series, his non-inclusion in the A team is a worrying sign, particularly after a domestic season in which he scored at an average of 68.57 in the Ranji Trophy. Social media was quick to react to the non-inclusion of Iyer, wondering if this was a personal issue rather than a performance one.
Outrage on social media
Many users on social media recalled how Shreyas was dropped from the starting XI of even the ODI team ahead of the Champions Trophy despite having established himself as the best batter in his position in the format. It required an injury to Virat Kohli to allow him to prove that he belonged in the team, after which he played a central role in India’s title triumph.
Also read: BCCI contracts: Rohit, Virat retained in top grade; Iyer, Kishan back
However, there are some possible reasons the selectors could have excluded him apart from his performances. His team Punjab Kings is doing well in the IPL right now and may well qualify for the playoffs. If they make it to the finals, it means Iyer would be playing till June 3, which would then mean he could miss two of the three unofficial Tests starting May 30. Hence, the BCCI decided to go for players whose teams are not in the playoffs or who are not even participating in the IPL.