India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh has been announced, featuring the return of several key players. However, the absence of Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Iyer has raised questions.
Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant are among the top stars who will be making their return to the Test team. Rookie pacer Yash Dayal has also earned his maiden call-up.
Mohammed Shami, who was expected to be fit for the first Test, has been left out of the squad. The veteran pacer’s fitness remains a concern, and he is unlikely to be selected for the second Test as well.
Shreyas Iyer, despite his impressive performance in the first Duleep Trophy match, has also been overlooked by the selectors. Iyer’s inconsistent performances in red-ball cricket and a poor 2024 season have reportedly played a role in his omission.
Fitness concerns have also troubled Iyer recently. His removal from BCCI’s central contracts, following his unavailability for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, has reportedly left the board’s bosses and the selection committee unhappy.
With Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul also competing for the middle-order spots, Iyer seems to be low in the pecking order at the moment.
The BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had earlier said that Shami could make his return for the Bangladesh series. However, the pacer doesn’t seem to have ticked all the boxes for selection. He is likely to be picked in the Bengal team for the Ranji Trophy campaign, starting on October 11. If he manages to prove his fitness in the domestic tournament, Team India’s return could only be a formality.
