Shreyas Iyer to walk back in the Indian dressing room despite no central contract with Gautam Gambhir becoming the Head Coach

Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is set to make his comeback to the national team despite not receiving a central contract from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Shreyas Iyer earned a spot in the Indian team after his impressive batting performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Shreyas Iyer guided the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third title in the IPL 2024 season. He scored 351 runs at an average of 39.00 and a strike rate of 146.86, including two half-centuries. The right-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 58 runs off 24 balls in "Qualifier 1" against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Shreyas Iyer struggled with a back injury before making a comeback during the 2023 Asia Cup. He played a crucial role in India's unbeaten run to the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. He last played for India in the home Test series against England. Iyer was dropped from the India squad after the first two Tests.

The 29-year-old batter is in contention for selection for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour after his recent performances in T20 cricket. Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir could start his role as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team with the white-ball assignments against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

"Shreyas is currently not at NCA. Here mostly those players are there, who have performed in the IPL and will be in contention for Zimbabwe selection. Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yash Dayal are all at the camp. Some will go to Zimbabwe T20Is," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Shreyas Iyer Will Travel For The Three-Match ODI Series In Sri Lanka

Shreyas Iyer might be considered for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, but he is more likely to make a comeback in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in July-August. According to a PTI report, Shreyas's performances in ODI cricket over the past few months make his selection almost certain.

"However, there is every possibility that Shreyas will travel for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The last ODI that India played was in South Africa and he scored a half-century (52). He had 500 plus runs (530) in the World Cup and averages just around 50. Can you drop him?" the source said of Iyer.

The five-match T20I series between India and Zimbabwe is scheduled to be played from July 6 to 14 in Harare. Senior cricketers, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are expected to be rested after a hectic period with the IPL and the 2024 T20 World Cup. The squad is set to be announced in the next week.

The Men in Blue are slated to play a series against Sri Lanka as per the Future Tours Programme (FTP), consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is. However, the exact schedule for these matches has not been announced yet.

Also read: Gautam Gambhir unconfirmed as Team India's head coach; Faces competition from WV Raman - Report