Rishabh Pant made his long-awaited return to the Test team after nearly 20 months as the BCCI announced India’s 16-man squad for the first match of the two-Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on September 19. Virat Kohli also marked his comeback, having missed the home five-Test series against England earlier this year due to a break he took for the birth of his second child.
Jasprit Bumrah also made a return to the Indian team for the first time since the T20 World Cup, and while there were no major surprises, there were definitely a couple of notable omissions. Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami, both of whom have been away from red-ball action in the recent past, continue to be away from the squad. While Shami was injured since the ODI World Cup last year and is on a comeback trail. Iyer’s case is more complex.
Iyer’s exclusion from the Test squad may come as a surprise to some, given his return to the Indian ODI team and a strong half-century knock in the Duleep Trophy match for India D. However, the decision appears to be rooted in a combination of his inconsistent form in red-ball cricket and a tumultuous year in 2024.
The 29-year-old batter, who had been on a steady rise in the Indian cricket over the past years, faced a major setback earlier this year when he sustained an injury during the Test series against England. Later, he was removed from BCCI’s central contracts due to his apparent unavailability for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.
Despite a commendable comeback, during which he guided Mumbai to a title and led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL glory, Iyer’s red-ball credentials have indeed taken a hit. His recent performances in longer formats have been underwhelming, particularly in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament, where he failed to make a significant impact.
His struggles continued in the first innings of Duleep Trophy, where he could only muster nine runs. While he did score a fifty in the second innings, the lack of consistency in the longer format has likely contributed to the selectors’ decision to overlook him for the upcoming Test series.
Adding to Iyer’s woes is the fierce competition for middle-order spots in the Indian Test team. With the emergence of Sarfaraz Khan, who made a strong impression with his aggressive batting during his debut series against England earlier this year, and the consistent performances of KL Rahul, who has been one of the mainstays in the Test side, Iyer finds himself trailing in the pecking order.
Shami on a comeback trail
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted a few weeks ago that Mohammed Shami was being considered for a potential return in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. However, Shami’s comeback is still in progress, and he was ultimately not included in the Test squad.
A report from PTI last month indicated that Shami is expected to make his return to competitive cricket in October after the Bangladesh series. His comeback, however, will not be in Indian whites. Instead, the plan is for Shami to represent Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, which kicks off on October 11, before he makes himself available for national selection.
There is also speculation that Shami may miss at least the first Test of the subsequent three-match series against New Zealand.
