Shreyas Iyer-Arshdeep Singh primed to feature in India Test squad for England
Published - 22 May 2025, 11:43 AM | Updated - 22 May 2025, 12:45 PM
Punjab Kings' (PBKS) bowling coach James Hopes has backed Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep Singh to feature for India in the England Test tour. The India Test squad for England tour will be announced along with the new Test captain on 25th May.
There are shoes to fill in the red-ball format after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement from the Test format. PBKS bowling coach wants Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep Singh to be picked in the Indian squad for the Test series against England.
Punjab Kings' bowling coach names Arshdeep Singh as ideal bowler for English conditions
PBKS bowling coach James Hopes praised the abilities of Arshdeep Singh as he moves the ball on both sides, and the left-arm pacer will be an ideal candidate for the English conditions.
“I think he's (Arshdeep) perfectly suited for the English conditions. He can swing the ball both ways; he can bowl reverse-swing if that's required. He can bowl around the wicket as a left-armer (seamer) and still take it away from the right-hander,” James Hopes stated to Times of India.
The left-arm pacer also has experience in the English conditions, as he played in England’s County cricket. Kent signed Arshdeep in 2023.
Arshdeep played five matches for Kent in Division 1 and picked up 13 wickets. After playing a few matches in English conditions, Arshdeep thanked Kent stint as his performance got better later.
“After the Kent stint, I played ODIs in South Africa, and I got good results for hitting those hard lengths and got the ball to move around a bit. A lot of credit goes to the BCCI as well, who pushed me to take up the county stint, and that helped me improve my skills with the red ball as well.” Arshdeep stated.
Arshdeep plays for the Punjab team in the domestic circuit. He played 21 first-class matches and picked up 66 wickets. Arshdeep plays more T20 games compared to ODIs and Test cricket.
James Hopes on Shreyas Iyer
PBKS' bowling coach also backed their skipper, Shreyas Iyer, to be included in the Test squad for the England tour. Iyer’s last 12 months have been exceptional,l and he performed in every format as well.
“Shreyas is ready to get back into the Test arena. I think he's worked hard on his game over the last 12 months. He uses his hands so beautifully, which can be a real asset when you're playing over there (in England). Yes, I think they both should be seriously considered for the (India) squad,” James Hopes added.
Iyer’s overseas Test record is below average as he played six Test matches in the away conditions. Iyer scored only 75 runs with an average of just 15 in the away Test matches.
PBKS skipper will be eyeing to make his red-ball format return in the Indian team. Shreyas Iyer was dropped from the Indian test team midway through the England series in 2024.
Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer’s IPL 2025 performance
Shreyas Iyer became the first player to lead three different franchises to the IPL playoffs. Iyer scored 435 runs in 12 innings at an average of 48.33 in the ongoing IPL season.
Arshdeep has been sensational with the new ball and has picked up 16 wickets in 11 innings so far in the IPL 2025.
Read also: Sanjay Bangar announces Virat Kohli's Test replacement
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IPL Punjab Kings India National Cricket Team England National Cricket Team India vs England England vs India Shreyas Iyer Arshdeep Singh James Hopes
