Over the last few days, a lot has been said about Shreyas Iyer, and his absence from the T20I squad, for the series against Afghanistan. Many perceived his exclusion, as a ‘punishment’ for his poor returns during the South Africa series, where he scored 31, 6, 0, and 4. But later, India coach Rahul Dravid clarified that it was just the simple case of him missing out, with so many options available.
“No disciplinary reason for Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion. It’s unfortunate because he is an excellent batsman but there are so many of them,” Dravid had said. While many might consider this as a cover up only, the coach might just be true here. Iyer was hurriedly added to the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad for the tie against Andhra, that could in turn be beneficial for him, as well as the Indian team, with the England home Test series starting from 25th January.
While the India squad is yet to be announced, but this could just be a signal of things to come. Moreover, Iyer has been decent in home Tests, where in seven matches, he has scored 430 runs, at an average of 40.
Sarfaraz Khan in India A Team vs England Lions
One of the most talked-about points during India’s tour of South Africa was the inclusion of Sarfaraz Khan in the team. Though that did not happen, but having scored a ton in the intra-squad game, he only solidified his chances. Interestingly, in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Andhra, Sarfaraz Khan was not included, which again, could be a hint that he could make it to the Indian Test team finally.
Moreover, the 26-year-old has an excellent record in first-class cricket. The Mumbai batsman has amassed 3692 runs in 43 matches, at an average of 70, and can’t be further ignored from the Test side. The team management might just be tempted to rope him in for the home series.
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