MUMBAI: After being ignored from India’s tour of England this summer, Shreyas Iyer, who is currently only in India’s ODI team, could be in line for a comeback in the T20I and Test team. TOI has learnt that Iyer is likely to be recalled for India’s T20I and Test side when the selectors meet sometime in Aug to pick the squad for the Asia Cup in UAE, which will be played in the T20 format from Sept 9, and the two-Test series against West Indies from Oct 2 in Ahmedabad.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 30-year-old Mumbai cricketer is in serious contention for a spot in the middle order in all formats of the game. “We need Iyer’s class and experience in the middle order in all formats. It’s something which we missed in England during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The selectors are aware that Iyer is an excellent player of spin bowling, which will be crucial in a home season that involves four Tests — two each against West Indies and South Africa,” sources told TOI.
Iyer has been picked in the West Zone team for the Duleep Trophy, which will be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence from Aug 28. Seeded into the semis by virtue of being the defending champions, West Zone will directly play in the semifinals of the tournament from Sept 4.
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Iyer has been out of favour in Tests since a back issue and poor form saw him lose his berth during the home series against England last year. The decision-makers, however, feel Iyer has done all the right things since losing his contract after expressing a reluctance to play domestic cricket. The 30-year-old was in decent form for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 480 runs at 68.57, with two centuries, in five matches last season.Overall, Iyer has scored 811 runs in 14 Tests at 36.86, including one hundred and five fifties. He played the last of his 14 Tests against England in Vizag in Feb last year. The 30-year-old Mumbaikar was India’s top run-getter in their Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai in March, scoring 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, including two fifties. His knocks of 45 off 62 balls against Australia in the semifinal and 48 off 62 balls in the final proved crucial.Nair not to play Duleep TrophyMeanwhile, TOI has learnt that middle-order batter Karun Nair suffered a minor fracture on his finger after being struck on the hand by a rising delivery during the second innings of the Oval Test. Nair will not play for Central Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The 33-year-old batter, who moved back to Karnataka from Vidarbha, scored 205 runs in four Tests at an average of 25.62, with one fifty in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.No Sri Lanka series in AugustIndia will not be going to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series in Aug. It is learnt that post a gruelling five-Test series in England, the Indian team has been given a rare ‘complete rest’ by the BCCI, which means that Team India will only resume playing international cricket with the Asia Cup in Sept. “The players requested for a break after the England series. There is a hectic international schedule for India from Sept, which also involves going to Australia for a white-ball series in Oct,” sources said.Pant won’t require surgeryWicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant won’t require surgery after a toe fracture during the fourth Test in Manchester. However, Pant has been ruled out of action for at least six weeks. He will miss the Asia Cup and possibly the West Indies series.
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