Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes Shreyas Iyer should have been included in India’s squad for the upcoming Test series against England. India will kick off their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign with a five-match Test series against England, beginning June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. The series will wrap up with the fifth and final Test at The Oval in London on August 4.
With Rohit Sharma announcing his retirement from Test cricket, the BCCI named Shubman Gill as the new Test captain. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been appointed vice-captain as the Indian selectors announced the squad last month.
Sourav Ganguly: One of the most talked-about exclusions was that of Shreyas Iyer. Despite performing consistently across formats over the past year, Iyer did not find a place in the squad, sparking widespread debate and criticism from several quarters.
Sourav Ganguly Believes Shreyas Iyer Deserved a Spot in India’s Test Squad for England Series
In a recent conversation with RevSportz, former India captain and ex-BCCI President Sourav Ganguly expressed his surprise over Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the Indian Test squad for the England series. Ganguly emphasized Iyer’s exceptional form with the bat and stated that he should have been included in the team.
“He’s been in tremendous form over the past year. Sourav Ganguly, This version of Shreyas is not the same player who was left out earlier. He’s performing under pressure, taking responsibility, and handling the short ball effectively. Test cricket is a different ball game, no doubt, but I would have liked to see him in this series and see how he performs,” said the 52-year-old.
Iyer recently led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to their first IPL final in 11 years during the 2025 season. He also had a standout individual campaign, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches and finishing as the sixth-highest run-scorer of the tournament. In the previous season, he captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title.
Sourav Ganguly: Earlier this year, Iyer was India’s top scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, accumulating 243 runs in five innings and playing a key role in India’s title-winning run. Despite his stellar performances across formats, chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced last month that Iyer did not find a place in the squad for the England Test series.