Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has openly questioned the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from India's Test squad for the upcoming tour of England in June-August 2025. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 18-member squad, with Shubman Gill named as the new Test captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement. Rishabh Pant was appointed as his deputy. While the squad saw the return of Karun Nair after a long hiatus, Iyer's omission has raised eyebrows, particularly given his recent form across formats.
Sehwag expressed his surprise and disappointment, stating that Iyer's current form and aggressive approach would have been beneficial for the team, especially considering England's high scoring rate in Test cricket. He emphasized that an in-form player is more likely to perform well and that Iyer's inclusion could have put pressure on the English team. "When you're in good form, it's good to take him to the tour because there are higher chances of him performing. I would want to see him in Test team. If he keeps the same approach in Test cricket, it benefits the team. If you have 2-3 players like that, it sets fear in the opposition," Sehwag said.
Iyer's Test career has seen him play 14 matches, scoring 811 runs at an average of 36.86, including a century and five fifties. His last Test appearance was in February 2024 against England. Despite being dropped from the Test team midway through the 2024 series against England, Iyer has been performing well in domestic cricket. In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, he scored 480 runs in seven innings for Mumbai, averaging 68.57 with two centuries. He has also been a consistent performer in ODIs and was a key contributor to India's Champions Trophy win earlier in 2025. In the ongoing IPL 2025, Iyer has been the highest run-scorer for Punjab Kings, amassing 488 runs in 13 innings at an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 172.43.
Sehwag also highlighted Iyer's leadership skills, pointing out that he led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and has been successfully captaining Punjab Kings in the current season. "He doesn't get much credit for his captaincy. Iyer has had a great season, he is also the captain. Why can't he play in Test cricket? He can definitely play all three formats," Sehwag questioned.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar defended Iyer's exclusion, stating that his recent performances have been more notable in white-ball cricket and that he needs to perform more in domestic cricket to find a place in the Test squad. Agarkar acknowledged Iyer's good form but emphasized the need for him to consistently perform in red-ball cricket to be considered for Test selection.
The squad selected for the England tour sees Shubman Gill as captain, with a mix of experienced players like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, and new faces like Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan. The five-match Test series is scheduled to begin on June 20 at Leeds, marking the start of India's campaign in the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
