Shreyas Iyer's Test career comes to a close, Jay Shah hammers the last nail in the coffin

Team India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to make a comeback to the Test squad following his underwhelming performance in the Duleep Trophy.

According to the latest news reports, Shreyas Iyer won't be included in the national cricket team for the upcoming series against New Zealand.

The Rohit Sharma-led team will start their busy Test schedule with a two-match series against Bangladesh. After this, India will host New Zealand for a three-match Test series. The Men in Blue will then travel to Australia for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series.

Iyer had an opportunity to make an impression in the Duleep Trophy to be included in the Test squad. However, he scored only 104 runs across four innings. He wasn't included in the squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh, which will commence in Chennai on September 19.

There's No Room For Shreyas Iyer To Be In The Test Team - BCCI Official

A BCCI official has expressed doubts about Shreyas Iyer's return to the Test team, stating there is no spot for him in the squad.

The official criticized Iyer for playing a poor shot off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, raising concerns about his decision-making on a flat pitch.

“At the moment, there’s no room for Shreyas to be in the Test team. Who will he replace? Besides, his shot selection has been a concern in Duleep, especially yesterday (Sunday)."

"He was well set and then suddenly played such a shot (off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani). When you are set and then batting on a flat deck, you need to make the best use of that opportunity,” pointed out a BCCI official, as quoted by the Telegraph.

The right-handed batter last played a Test match against England earlier this year. Iyer was dropped from the squad after the two Test matches against England. He has scored 811 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 36.86. Shreyas has hit one century and five half-centuries in his Test career.

Shreyas Iyer Unlikely To Be Picked For Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Another BCCI official confirmed that Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to be included in the India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to his weakness against short balls. However, the report added that there is hope for his comeback if he performs well in domestic cricket.

The official added that Iyer will be played in the Irani Cup even if he is picked for the T20I series against Bangladesh. The report noted that Iyer will be considered for selection if he regains form.

“Shreyas could be there (in the Mumbai squad) for the Irani Cup (beginning on October 1 in Lucknow). Even if he’s picked for the Bangladesh T20Is (from October 6), he still might play Irani and then be available from the second T20I onwards.

“Now, if he doesn’t fire in Irani too, he still has the Ranji Trophy to get runs. It wasn’t too many days ago when he was batting so well in last year’s ODI World Cup. He suffered an injury too, which needs to be considered,” said another Board official.

“Also, with still one round left in Duleep, you never know he might score a hundred. He needs to regain form. Most likely he won’t go to Australia for his problems against the short ball, but one can’t just ignore his runs at home.”

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