Shreyas Iyer not making the cut for India’s Test squad for the England tour has stirred up some conversation. With Virat Kohli stepping away, there were high hopes for Iyer to take that number 4 spot. But the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, decided to leave him out. Former England spinner Monty Panesar offered some advice for Iyer to reclaim his spot. He acknowledged that Iyer performs well on flat and bouncy pitches but feels he struggles with swinging conditions.
Panesar mentioned, Shreyas has a solid technique for flat tracks, but maybe it doesn’t work as well when it swings. His hands seem a bit stiff, and he doesn’t have that soft touch needed to handle the swing. He believes Iyer needs to play county cricket to show he can adapt.
He should find a county team and play a full season if he’s serious about getting back into the Test squad, Panesar said. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been named captain, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy, for the 18-member squad heading into the five-match Test series against England starting June 20. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair are back on the team, along with rising star Sai Sudharsan.