Former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that Shreyas Iyer has no chance of returning to the Indian Test team anytime soon.
Iyer was not selected in India’s squad for the first Test against Bangladesh which begins in Chennai on September 19.
Shreyas was ruled out of India’s final Test series earlier this year against England. Although Iyer had complained of constant back problems at the time, it was believed that his poor form with the red ball led to his expulsion from the team.
Iyer was replaced by Sarfaraz Khan in the squad who impressed in his debut Test series. Sarfaraz has found a place in India’s squad for the first Test but is unlikely to feature unless there are injury concerns.
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Aakash Chopra breaks silence on Shreyas Iyer’s prospects of returning to Indian Test team
While speaking on his show ‘Aakashvani’ on YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra spoke about Shreyas’ chances of making it to the Indian Test team.
Chopra noted that while Iyer played a crucial role the last time India played Bangladesh, the current circumstances are likely to keep him out of some Tests.
“It’s interesting that last time when we beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh, Shreyas Iyer had a very important performance in the last match.
“We won because he played a crucial role, but since then, the world has changed. I don’t see any chance for Shreyas in Tests at the moment,” Chopra said.
Shreyas Iyer was magnificent with the bat the last time India played Bangladesh. The match was held in Mirpur and Iyer scored 87 off 105 runs in the first innings and an unbeaten 29 in the second innings to take India home in a thrilling match.
In the second innings, India were in deep trouble, trailing 74-7 at one stage, but Iyer and Ashwin came together for a solid 71-run partnership that helped India cross the finishing line. Ashwin remained unbeaten on 42.
Will Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel make it into the starting XI?
While Shreyas Iyer is not joining the squad, Chopra also claimed that other batsmen like Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel would also not be able to find a place in the playing XI.
“Whoever is there will not be able to play all the matches either. The guys who are part of this team, which includes Sarfaraz (Khan), KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, I think they will simply not be able to get into the starting XI. So where will Shreyas Iyer be in this?” the renowned commentator added.
Shreyas Iyer has played 14 Test matches in his career and has scored 811 runs at an average of 36.86. He is known to be an excellent player of spin and can play an attacking style of cricket. However, his struggles in the difficult conditions of South Africa and England did not help his cause.
Sarfaraz has been selected to play in the second round of the Duleep Trophy match, which almost rules him out of the first Test match against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, with the arrival of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel’s chances of making it into the starting XI have also taken a hit.
Jurel was excellent in his first Test series against England but India are likely to pick Pant as the first-choice wicketkeeper. However, KL Rahul is likely to feature in the first Test match in the middle order.
