Harbhajan Singh questioned the BCCI’s (BCCI) Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee’s decision to keep Shreyas Iyer out of India’s squad for the five-match Test tour to England, which begins on Friday, June 20.
Despite constantly succeeding as a player and captain during the just finished Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Shreyas was unable to secure a recall to India’s red-ball squad. Many fans and analysts have criticised this decision since the 18-man squad without Shreyas was released last month.
Harbhajan stated that Shreyas has proven himself in the ODI circuit and questioned whether the selectors are not considering the right-handed batter as a red-ball cricketer at this time.
“Shreyas Iyer is an excellent player. He has proven himself in one-day internationals, as well as in the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and IPL. So, certainly, he should have been on the squad. However, the selectors may not regard him as a red-ball player right now,” Harbhajan stated on the sidelines of the Vidarbha Cricket League’s start in Nagpur.
The former India off-spinner, on the other hand, stated that if he had been in charge of selecting India’s Test side for the highly awaited visit to England, he would have undoubtedly chosen the Mumbai batter. He did, however, say that the 30-year-old’s career in the longest format is far from over. Harbhajan also mentioned Shreyas as a potential ODI skipper in the future.
“If I were a member of the selection committee, I would have considered him. However, his path is far from over; he could even become an ODI skipper in the future. “One missed tour does not mean his career is over,” he explained.
Sai Sudharsan should play at No.3: Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan suggested that Sai Sudharsan, who won the Orange Cap in IPL 2025, could bat at No. 3 for India in the Tests against England. The cricketer-turned-expert highlighted the Tamil Nadu batter’s exemplary IPL performance and sound technique.
“In my opinion, Sai Sudharsan should play at No.3. He’s a left-hander, in top form, and just came off a very impressive IPL. His technique is sound, and I believe he could be the solution at that position,” Harbhajan mentioned.
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