‘Anyone Can Be Called if..’: Gautam Gambhir Breaks Silence on Shreyas Iyer’s Snub for England Tests

India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer was the biggest absentee when the squad for the upcoming five-match England Test series was announced earlier on May 24. It was even more surprising since Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had announced their respective retirements from the longest format and there was a void in the batting lineup.

Today, at the pre-departure press conference, India coach Gautam Gambhir opened up on the reason behind the decision.

Gambhir said, “Anyone can be called if they are in good form. We can only pick 18. But I believe it’s always about being open to people who are in good form and can deliver.”

Notably, the selectors decided to call up Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan for the tour on the back of some stellar performances in domestic cricket and for having prior experience of playing county cricket.

Nair was the fourth-highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy last season and top-scorer in Vijay Hazare Trophy while Sai finished as the Orange Cap winner in the recent IPL 2025

ALSO READ:

• Gautam Gambhir Gives KEY Update on Jasprit Bumrah’s Availability for England Tests
• Gautam Gambhir Almost Confirms THIS Batter Will Be In The Playing XI For India In England Test Series
• You Cannot Lose 11 People: Gautam Gambhir Slams Victory Parade in Bengaluru After RCB Wins IPL 2025

Shreyas Iyer doesn’t have much experience of playing in the SENA countries

Although Shreyas too have looked in good form of late, he was still left out of India’s Test squad for the England series owing to several other factors. One key reason behind the decision was his difficulties against short balls. With English pitches known for their extra bounce and movement, the management likely deemed him unsuitable for the conditions.

Additionally, Iyer has very little experience of playing Test cricket in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), having featured in only three matches outside Asia.

India’s strong bench strength further complicated his selection, with alternatives like Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan available as viable options.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.