Harbhajan Singh announces India’s new No.3 in Tests; Blasts Agarkar, Gambhir for Shreyas Iyer’s snub

Legendary India National Cricket Team off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has named his pick for the No.3 role in the Indian team for the upcoming five-match Test series against the England National Cricket Team.

Harbhajan Singh has also lashed out at the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir for not including the star 30-year-old batter Shreyas Iyer in the squad for the England tour.

Shreyas Iyer is a very fine player - Harbhajan Singh

The right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer has emerged as one of the top players in Indian cricket in the last few years, and he has impressed everyone with his leadership skills.

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He has made significant improvements in his batting and has conquered his short-ball weakness. Iyer is currently a regular member of India's ODI team, but the selection committee has kept him completely out of the setup in red-ball cricket and T20Is.

Iyer had a stellar campaign in the Indian Premier League 2025, where he took Punjab Kings to the final and slammed 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07. Before that, he had played five Ranji Trophy matches in the 2024-25 season and scored 480 runs at an average of 68.57.

Despite his consistent performances across formats, Iyer was omitted from the Test squad for the England tour, and this didn't sit well with many fans and experts.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Vidarbha Cricket League launch in Nagpur, Harbhajan Singh said that Iyer is a proven performer and should have been considered for the England Test series.

The legendary off-spinner also motivated the 30-year-old, saying that he shouldn't be affected by the Test snub because he is a fine player and could be seen leading the Indian ODI team in the near future. He said (as quoted by IANS):

“Shreyas Iyer is a very fine player. He's proven himself in ODIs, performed in the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and IPL. So yes, he should've been in the squad. But maybe the selectors don't see him as a red-ball player right now. If I were part of the selection committee, I would have considered him. But this is not the end — his journey is long, and he might even be a future ODI captain. One missed tour doesn't mean his career is over.”

In my opinion, Sai Sudharsan should play at No.3 - Harbhajan Singh

With the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket and the omission of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, a few batting slots opened in the Indian Test team.

In the five-match Test series against England, reportedly, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and Shubman Gill have been finalized to bat in the top four.

When Harbhajan Singh was asked who would be taking the crucial No. 3 spot, he backed the youngster Sai Sudharsan and said:

“In my opinion, Sai Sudharsan should play at No.3. He's a left-hander, in top form, and just came off a very impressive IPL. His technique is sound, and I believe he could be the solution at that position."

Gill is a new captain, and the team is quite young - Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh further said that the Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team looks quite inexperienced, but the players need to stay confident to get the job done. He said:

“The team needs to believe in themselves — believe that they can win. This team has the ability. These are the same youngsters — Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant — who broke Australia's fortress at the Gabba. Now it's their turn to make history again. The opportunity is massive, and they should grab it with both hands.

“Gill is a new captain, and the team is quite young — there's no Rohit, Virat, Pujara, or even Ajinkya Rahane. It's going to be challenging, but I expect our youngsters to rise to the occasion and perform well."

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