Why no Shreyas Iyer for England tour? Coach Gautam Gambhir opens up | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: The Indian Test workforce has formally stepped into its much-anticipated transition interval, with Shubman Gill named captain for the upcoming five-match sequence in England. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been appointed vice-captain. The squad additionally options Karun Nair, marking his return to the nationwide fold after eight years. Nair, who final represented India in 2017, was dropped quickly after changing into solely the second Indian to notch a triple century in Test cricket.Among the notable omissions for the England tour, Shreyas Iyer‘s absence stood out. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar defined the choice, saying: “Shreyas had a good one-day series, played well in domestic as well but right now there’s no room in Test cricket.”India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed Iyer’s exclusion for the primary time on Wednesday.“Mai selector nahi hun (I am not a selector),” was Gambhir’s sharp retort to a journalist asking about Iyer’s omission from the squad.

Iyer’s management expertise will likely be underneath the highlight when Punjab Kings tackle Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 on Thursday — a high-stakes conflict between two assured groups.

With the cushion of a top-two end, either side are anticipated to go all out, conscious that even a defeat on this match would supply one other shot at making the ultimate.Punjab Kings are navigating uncharted waters, having certified for the play-offs for the primary time since 2014. But underneath the management of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, they’re unburdened by previous failures.

RCB, in distinction, are no strangers to the heartbreaks of knockout video games and, like each season, will purpose to lastly break their title jinx. As the groups themselves have acknowledged, the job stays “only half done.”The Iyer-Ponting duo has sparked a outstanding turnaround for Punjab Kings, a franchise that has lengthy struggled for consistency however now appears to have discovered its rhythm.