India is gearing up for an important five-match Test series in England starting June 20, and the absence of Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer from the squad has sparked a lot of discussion. Many expected both to be included, especially after veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements. Instead, the selectors went for Karun Nair, who hasn’t played a Test since 2017, and gave Sai Sudharsan his first call-up. This has led people to wonder if Nair’s return meant Sarfaraz and Iyer were left out for good.
The announcement of the 18-man Test squad definitely caught some off guard. With two batting positions open due to Rohit and Kohli stepping away, many thought Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan were in line for those spots. But in a surprising twist, selectors led by Ajit Agarkar and coach Gautam Gambhir decided to choose differently.
Nair is back on the team after a great run in domestic cricket, while Sudharsan’s consistent play earned him a spot. This means Sarfaraz and Iyer are out, and the reactions have been mixed. Former Indian pacer Atul Wassan shared his thoughts on the matter, suggesting that the decisions were based more on opinions than actual performances. He mentioned on the Bails and Banter show that both players were left out partly because there are doubts about how they’d do in England.
Sarfaraz had a solid debut earlier this year, scoring 62 against England before being run out, and followed it up with a 68* and a hundred against New Zealand. Still, he didn’t get a game in Australia and is now completely off the squad. As for Shreyas Iyer, he last played a Test against England but had to sit out because of a back injury. He bounced back well in limited-overs cricket but hasn’t secured his red-ball spot. His earlier exclusion from the BCCI central contracts list was already a sign that his Test future was uncertain.
On the flip side, Karun Nair made a strong case with 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy matches and 779 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Looks like his consistent form has really caught the selectors’ attention.
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