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Star batters Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were notable absentees on Saturday as the BCCI announced Team India’s squad for the remaining three Tests against England. On the other hand, KL Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned to the squad after missing the second Test due to injuries. While Kohli made him unavailable for the remaining Tests in Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala, Rahul and Jadeja’s participation will depend on BCCI’s medical team’s fitness clearance. However, there was no clarification regarding Iyer’s absence from the squad.
Senior batter Iyer, who complained of groin and lower back stiffness, has not been picked because of his poor form according to news agency PTI. His medical update has not been provided by the BCCI.
It is believed that Iyer would have been dropped in any case and his injury made the decision easier for selectors. “If Shreyas was to be rested because of injury, the BCCI medical bulletin would have had an update. Since there are no updates, it can be concluded that he has got the axe,” the source said.
Iyer has not scored a fifty for the longest time and his mode of dismissals on batting friendly Indian tracks is a cause of concern.
It is understood that Iyer might not be considered for the longer version of the game in near future as he has always been susceptible against short ball, a weakness.
India have one more big Test series in the current WTC cycle — five games against Australia Down Under at the end of the year and Iyer, with his technique, unlikely to get the selectors’ nod for games on tracks offering steep bounce.
However, the BCCI didn’t mention anything around the same lines in their official squad release.
Iyer’s ouster could well be due to his poor form in the first two Tests, as well as the recent tour of South Africa. He managed scores of 35, 13, 27 and 29 in the first two Tests, and also registered just 41 runs during the two Tests against South Africa earlier this year.
With Iyer out of the squad and Rahul’s participation not guaranteed, Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan could be in for his Test debut in Rajkot.
Sarfaraz was added to the squad for the second Test following Rahul’s injury. However, he did not feature, instead the management handed a debut to Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar.
Meanwhile, the only new face in the 17-man squad is Bengal speedster Akash Deep, who has been rewarded for his consistent show in first-class cricket and in recent India A vs England Lions Test series.
Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar has been released with Jadeja coming back while Mohammed Siraj is back in the squad in place of Avesh Khan.
The third Test starts February 15 in Rajkot.
India Squad For Remaining Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep.
(With PTI Inputs)
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