The rise of young talents like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel, who impressed during the series against England earlier this year, has pushed Iyer down the pecking order.
A BCCI official has expressed doubts about Iyer’s place in the current Test team, citing concerns over his shot selection during the Duleep Trophy.”At the moment, there’s no room for Shreyas to be in the Test team. Who will he replace? Besides, his shot selection has been a concern in Duleep, especially yesterday (Sunday),” the official told Telegraph.
“He (Iyer) was well set and then suddenly played such a shot (off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani). When you are set and then batting on a flat deck, you need to make the best use of that opportunity,” the official added.
Another board official hinted that Iyer will continue playing in the domestic circuit and suggested his inclusion in the five-match Test tour of Australia later this year is unlikely.
However, the official also mentioned the possibility of Iyer participating in the Irani Cup and the Bangladesh T20I series, depending on his performance and availability.
The official emphasized the need for Iyer to regain form while acknowledging his past achievements, particularly his batting during last year’s ODI World Cup.
“Now, if he doesn’t fire in Irani too, he still has the Ranji Trophy to get runs. It wasn’t too many days ago when he was batting so well in last year’s ODI World Cup. He suffered an injury too, which needs to be considered. Also, with still one round left in Duleep, you never know he might score a hundred. He needs to regain form. Most likely he won’t go to Australia for his problems against the short ball, but one can’t just ignore his runs at home,” the official added.