KKR Star should be in India squad for England Test tour: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar believes KKR star Venkatesh Iyer should be part of India’s Test squad for the upcoming tour of England in 2025.

In 2025, India’s next big Test challenge is a five-match series in England, which is likely to be as demanding as their current Border Gavaskar Trophy contests in Australia.

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With the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin and rumors of a few more veterans leaving the format, the team is in a transition phase. To address this, they need to look for new talent, similar to their discovery of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in Australia.

Gavaskar urges India to consider Venkatesh Iyer for England

Sunil Gavaskar, writing in his Sportstar column, has suggested that Indian selectors should keep an eye on Venkatesh Iyer, highlighting his potential as a left-handed batsman who can also bowl.

“India must also keep an eye on Venkatesh Iyer, who can be another good all-rounder and is a left-handed bat. His bowling also needs some work but he has played in England and can be a very good option there,” Gavaskar wrote.

Gavaskar sees Iyer as a promising all-rounder and points out that while his bowling can still improve, his experience playing in England could be a valuable asset for India’s upcoming tour.

Iyer, who has represented India in two ODIs and nine T20Is, also spent time playing county cricket for Lancashire earlier this year.

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In first-class cricket, he has played 27 matches, scoring 1,536 runs at an average of 36.57, with a top score of 174 and a strike rate of 67.99. He has recorded 2 centuries and 11 half-centuries, and has also taken 17 wickets.

India’s five-Test series in England is scheduled from June 20 to August 4 next year, and Iyer’s skills could offer the selectors an intriguing option for that challenging task.

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