Updated 21 January 2025 at 14:35 IST
Despite his tiff with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shreyas Iyer has been picked up for the India vs England ODI series and the upcoming Champions Trophy. Both Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the BCCI's central contract in 2024 due to their reluctancy to play domestic cricket. Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders' former IPL winning captain, in particular was looked at as a three-format player, but he somehow lost his way in Test cricket.
Iyer was a part of India's 2023 ODI World Cup squad. The right-handed Mumbai batter who is considered a great player of spin bowling provided a lot of stability to the Indian batting order. The Punjab Kings skipper has always been criticized for his ability to handle pace and especially short bowling. Shreyas Iyer has finally broken his silence on his capability to play bouncers.
The Indian selectors have shown their faith in Iyer once again and have picked him in India's Champions Trophy squad. Iyer too has done his bit and has scored big runs across formats in domestic cricket to force his way into the team. The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper while speaking to the Indian Express recently, hit out at his critics questioning his short ball playing technique.
'It’s irritating, especially when it comes from people, who haven’t faced 150 km per hour delivery, advising you to play in a particular way, but I would say it is their opinion. They have all the right to talk, but they can talk between themselves not to the player directly', said Iyer.
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Iyer who lifted the IPL title with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 has been released by the franchise. The Indian star cited lack of communication from the franchise as the key reason of his exit. Iyer was picked up by Punjab Kings for Rs. 26.75 crores and he is now all set to lead the franchise in the next season.
Published 21 January 2025 at 14:35 IST