Shreyas Iyer's Test Career At Stake? BCCI Official Makes BIG Claim

Shreyas Iyer finds himself completely out of contention for Test cricket currently. He has been left out from the squad for the 1st Test against Bangladesh, while his latest knock in the Duleep Trophy have only increased his chances.

Shreyas Iyer's Dip In Form

With the upcoming talents of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel performing strongly in the England series earlier this year, and Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul also seeking places in the Test team, Iyer's form during recent times has further dented his hope for the Test return. An official of BCCI has even hinted that, given his failure to really exploit the batting-friendly pitches in the Duleep Trophy, there is, for now at least, no place in the Test squad for Iyer.

'No Room For Shreyas Iyer': Says BCCI Official

"At the moment, there's no room for Shreyas to be in the Test team. Who will he replace? Besides, his shot selection has been a concern in Duleep, especially yesterday (Sunday). He was well set and then suddenly played such a shot (off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani). When you are set and then batting on a flat deck, you need to make the best use of that opportunity.," the BCCI official told Telegraph.

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In the meantime, another board official has indicated that Iyer will need to focus on performing well in domestic cricket. It seems improbable that he will be selected for the five-match Test series in Australia later this year.

"Shreyas could be there (in the Mumbai squad) for the Irani Cup (beginning on October 1 in Lucknow). Even if he's picked for the Bangladesh T20Is (from October 6), he still might play Irani and then be available from the second T20I onwards," another board official said.

Performance In Domestic Cricket: A Deciding Factor For Team Selection

The upcomg Irani Cup will be very crucial for Shreyas Iyer. If he performs there only then his chances to get back in the Indian Test team will increase.

"Now, if he doesn't fire in Irani too, he still has the Ranji Trophy to get runs. It wasn't too many days ago when he was batting so well in last year's ODI World Cup. He suffered an injury too, which needs to be considered. Also, with still one round left in Duleep, you never know he might score a hundred. He needs to regain form. Most likely he won't go to Australia for his problems against the short ball, but one can't just ignore his runs at home," he added.

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Duleep Trophy: Points Table

Shreyas Iyer led India D is at the bottom of the table and failed to make an impact in the tournament.