Shreyas Iyer provides massive update on his availability for India after Gautam Gambhir's appointment as Head Coach
Published - 12 Jul 2024, 12:27 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 05:09 AM
Team India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is aiming to make his comeback with the national cricket team under the newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Shreyas Iyer has started training sessions to return to the Indian cricket team, and his practice video has gone viral on social media.
The 29-year-old batter was not awarded a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in February of this year. He wasn't included in the contract list after not playing domestic cricket. Shreyas also missed out on being part of India’s squad in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.
Shreyas Iyer's absence from international cricket is due to miscommunication, despite his crucial role in India's ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. The middle-order batter scored 530 runs in 11 innings with an impressive average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24 during last year's ODI World Cup on home soil.
The Mumbai-born cricketer last represented India during the home Test series against England earlier this year, where he was dropped after the first two matches. Despite his strong recent performances in the IPL 2024 season, he was not considered for the ongoing five-match series against Zimbabwe.
Shreyas Iyer To Make His Comeback Under Gautam Gambhir's Tenure
Gautam Gambhir will begin his tenure as head coach with the Sri Lanka series, where India will play three T20Is and three ODIs. Gambhir will join the Indian team following a successful period with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024. Shreyas Iyer was the captain of the Knight Riders last season.
Shreyas Iyer is actively training for a potential return to international cricket. In a video that has gone viral, the right-handed batter was seen practicing on a race track in Mumbai despite heavy rain. The IPL-winning captain is expected to be in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka.
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Shreyas Iyer's international career could see a revival under Gautam Gambhir's leadership, despite falling down the pecking order and losing his central contract this season. Iyer scored 351 runs in 15 matches at a decent average of 39 and an impressive strike rate of over 146 during the IPL 2024 campaign.
India's Predicted Squad For ODI Series Vs Sri Lanka: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, KL Rahul (c), Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to rest, with KL Rahul leading the ODI team and Hardik Pandya captaining the T20I squad. The Indian team will play a limited number of matches before the 2025 Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma will lead the Men in Blue in next year's ICC 50-over tournament.