IND vs NZ: Shreyas Iyer’s Test comeback dreams dashed with Ranji Trophy 2024-25 selection

Shreyas Iyer's hopes of making a return to the Indian Test team seem to have taken a hit despite his recent performances in domestic cricket. He smashed a half-century in the first innings of the Irani Cup 2024 for the title-winning Mumbai team in Lucknow, but it won’t be enough to push his case for a spot in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

Shreyas Iyer has been named in the Mumbai squad for the first two matches of the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25, which is a clear hint that his chances of being named in the India squad for the upcoming three-match Test series are over.

Test snub on card for Shreyas Iyer as Mumbai batter set for Ranji Trophy 2024-25 campaign

The 29-year-old batter’s struggles in Test cricket led to his exclusion from the Indian cricket team earlier this year during the home series against England. He had smashed back-to-back fifties during Team India’s tour of Bangladesh in November 2022, but since then his form has taken a sharp deep.

In his last seven appearances in Test cricket, the right-handed batter could manage just 187 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17 without scoring a single fifty. The Mumbai star’s drop in form led to him being sidelined from the Indian setup. He was also overlooked for the recent Bangladesh Test series.

On the other hand, Iyer’s batting performances in domestic cricket lately haven't done much to change the national selectors' and team management’s take on the batter. In the Duleep Trophy 2024 last month, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain amassed only 154 runs for India D with the help of two fifties, but he was also dismissed for two ducks in the tournament.

In the Irani Cup 2024, Iyer scored a half-century in the first innings but was dismissed cheaply for eight runs in the second innings. These inconsistent performances have left the KKR skipper out of favor and lost his place in the Indian team across the formats.

Shreyas Iyer’s Ranji selection ends his India comeback dreams

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the Mumbai squad for the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy's opening matches against Baroda and Maharashtra meant that he will not play in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, as these games will run alongside the WTC series at home.

With the first Test between India and New Zealand starting on October 16 in Bengaluru, Iyer’s absence from the national squad is certain. However, the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 will provide Iyer with another opportunity to prove his worth.

As Mumbai faces Baroda in an away game on October 11 and Maharashtra at home from October 18 in the upcoming first-class tournament, Iyer has a great chance to display the consistency needed to regain his place in the Indian Test squad, which now has a lot of young talents.

Here’s the Mumbai Squad for the first two games at Ranji Trophy 2024-25:

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Hardik Tamore (WK), Sidhaant Addhatrao (WK), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhessh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Mohammed Juned Khan, Royston Dias, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi.