Mumbai (Maharashtra), India, April 23 (ANI): The former Indian coach Ravi Shastri mentioned that there could be an opportunity for the middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer to return to the Indian Test team, though he noted that there would be strong competition for his place.
Recently, Iyer returned to the roster of contracted players unveiled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan. These annual contracts for the Indian senior men’s team cover the period from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
His return was facilitated by an outstanding streak where he led both the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai to victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), respectively. Additionally, he excelled in first-class domestic cricket by clinching titles like the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup. Following these impressive showings, Iyer returned to India’s One Day International (ODI) squad for their encounters against England and went on to secure the ICC Champions Trophy with Team India, becoming the leading run-scorer during the tournament with 243 runs across five games, including two half-centuries. This year alone, playing in eight ODIs, he amassed 424 runs at an average of 53.00, racking up four fifties along the way.
As the captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the batsman has started strong, securing victories in five out of their eight games played thus far and accumulating 263 runs across eight matches, including three half-centuries.
In the most recent installment of ICC Review, Shastri commented on Iyer’s potential in Test cricket, stating, “Regarding Shreyas Iyer specifically, his performance for India over the past year and a half has been outstanding, particularly in the limited-overs formats, making him a sure bet especially in ODIs.”
“He has the potential to earn a recall for Test cricket, but once more, it will come down to competition. For white-ball formats, specific selections will be made. In Test cricket, we need to observe which other players emerge,” he concluded.
India’s upcoming significant test will be the red-ball series in England, where they are scheduled to compete against the home team in a five-Test match series serving as their initial preparation for the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Last seen playing a Test match for India against England in February prior, Iyer managed only 187 runs across his final seven Tests spanning twelve innings, failing to reach fifty and peaking at 35. Since debuting in Tests in 2021 during the series versus New Zealand, he has participated in fourteen matches, accumulating 811 runs with an average of 36.86, including one hundred and five half-centuries. Notably, his highest score stands at 105.
In the 14 first-class matches played last year, Iyer accumulated 932 runs across 23 innings, maintaining an average of 42.36. During this period, he notched up two hundreds and four half-centuries; his highest score stood at 233. For the upcoming Ranji Trophy season from 2024 to 2025, Iyer tallied 480 runs over five encounters and seven innings, boasting an impressive average of 68.57 along with achieving two tons and one fifty. Interestingly, his peak performance remained consistent as he again hit a top-score of 233.
Iyer boasts an impressive first-class record with Mumbai in domestic cricket. Over 81 games, he accumulated 6,363 runs at an average of 48.57, including 15 centuries and 33 half-centuries across 137 innings, with his highest score being 233. (ANI)
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