Shreyas Iyer has had a rollercoaster year as a cricketer. Initially, he was selected for the Test series against England but was released from the squad after the first two matches, where he reportedly had back spasms. Although the BCCI’s medical staff touted him as fit, Iyer didn’t feature for his domestic side, Mumbai, in the Ranji Trophy either.

The move didn’t please the BCCI officials, who didn’t include Iyer’s name in the central contract. Things went downhill abruptly for Iyer, with different reports floating all around. He was portrayed as someone not serious about domestic and Indian cricket, showing more interest towards IPL.

While Jay Shah urged his players not to focus on IPL, the only way for Iyer to find the spotlight again was by performing in the league, followed by almost everyone. The route wasn’t easy, for Iyer had a dual role to ace. Apart from a batter, he was also the leader of a renowned franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). As it turned out, Iyer nailed both roles, especially the leadership, taking KKR to their third title, the first in ten years.

An IPL-winning captain earns immense respect in the cricketing arena, and Iyer was no different. Soon the talks about how Iyer was unfairly treated gained voice. Even Iyer finally spoke openly on the incident for the first time.

“I was definitely struggling after the World Cup in the longer format. When I raised my concern, no one was agreeing to it,” exclaimed Iyer after winning the IPL trophy.

But that was just the start of redemption for him. The bigger goal is still far and more arduous. Obviously, his next target is to regain his position in the Indian setup and become a mainstay by re-earning the central contract.

And this is where the new coach can help him regain his position. Gautam Gambhir likes to have a selected group of people around him during his coaching tenure. Even since being announced as the new Indian head coach, he has already demanded Abhishek Nayar, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Morne Morkel, and Jonty Rhodes in different roles.

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When he mentored Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Gambhir brought Morne Morkel and Jonty Rhodes in various capacities. Later, he roped in Doeschate as a fielding coach in his first stint as KKR mentor this year. And this is not limited to the coaching staff; he does the same with players.

During the IPL 2024 auction, Gambhir bought Manish Pandey, who hasn’t been close to his best in recent years. He was also part of LSG during Gambhir’s tenure. Similarly, Dushmantha Chameera, who also played for LSG previously, replaced Gus Atkinson for KKR this year.

Gambhir’s liking for a specific set of players and coaches is not hidden. Shreyas Iyer also worked closely with him at KKR. Gautam has also praised Iyer for his leadership.

As good as he was a mentor, Iyer deserves credit for binding the team together and making wise calls on the field. A team can make as many plans as possible, but it eventually boils down to how calm a captain is on the field. And when the pressure is as towering as in IPL, the true character of a leader emerges.

Gambhir’s appointment has certainly bolstered his chances to don the Indian jersey again. And why not? If we go through his performances, Iyer has been among the most consistent players for the Indian team across formats.

In fact, he had a top-class World Cup last year, playing a pivotal role in India’s unbeaten run till the final. He averages close to 50 in ODIs and was a crucial member of the middle order till last year. If anything, Iyer deserves a re-look in the 50-over format at least.

There’s little doubt over his quality as a batter. He can succeed in the other two formats as well, where Iyer has shown true glimpses at times. A Test match average of 36.86 is not mediocre, even if not as great.

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His consistency was tempting enough for the selectors to include him in almost every format before the saga. What led to his omission from the central contracts is anyone’s guess, but Iyer’s quality is well-documented. Sure, he has those obvious flaws, but the Mumbaikar has always found ways to be among runs.

His commitment to Indian cricket is never in doubt, for Iyer has previously played with injections during the Bangladesh series in late 2022. Later, he happily skipped IPL 2023 to undergo surgery and get fit for cricket’s biggest carnival - the World Cup. Despite surgery, when pain reoccurred, Iyer played through that pain and notched up a magnificent century in the semifinal on his home turf, becoming the first-ever middle-order batter to amass 500 runs in a single World Cup edition.

He hardly got a break, even after the World Cup, playing the Australia series and travelling to South Africa after a hectic season. Iyer even played the Ranji Trophy in between to prepare himself for the England series earlier this year. It all took a toll on his vulnerable body, but he never complained and continued doing so for his loyalty to the Indian team.

Whatever the reason, Iyer’s exclusion from the central contract seems largely unfair. Anyways, what happened is past. The team must look forward and make wise calls.

There’s a Champions Trophy next year. Iyer should be brought back and given that No.4 position, where he found ample success. He should be in the scheme of things again, at least in the 50-over format.

India’s loss if he misses this ICC event in 2025 since he established himself on the back of consistent performances. Nothing takes away what he has done and has to offer to Indian cricket. With age on his side, Iyer still has a lot of cricket left and will continue evolving under someone he knows well.

Gautam Gambhir’s involvement might be timely, for he will definitely push Iyer’s case. Ideally, he should be in contention on the back of his own performances. But if it requires Gambhir’s influence to bring him back, so be it.

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