'Anyone can be called if they are in good form' - Gautam Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from England Tests

Shreyas Iyer had his best Indian Premier League (IPL) season with the bat this year, finishing with 604 runs from 17 innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07. He became the first captain in IPL history to lead three different teams to IPL finals. In IPL 2025, the Mumbai batter's astute leadership helped Punjab Kings reach the final for the first time in 11 years.

Many fans and experts opined that Shreyas could consider himself unlucky after missing out on a spot in India's 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test tour of England, starting on June 20. Some also wondered whether the door to India's red-ball setup was closed for the 30-year-old.

However, head coach Gautam Gambhir clarified that any player who is in good form and has the ability to deliver is in contention for a place in the side. However, the former India cricketer said that there is only room for 18 players in a squad and that it is not possible to pick everyone who is doing well.

“Anyone can be called. Anyone can be called if they are in good form. We could only pick 18, and the chairman of the selection committee has already answered that question (why Iyer was not picked). For me, it’s always about being open to people who are in good form, who can come in and deliver," Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference organised in Mumbai on Thursday, June 5.

Gambhir said that he is not the selector when quizzed about Shreyas' place in the squad last week. Incidentally, the latter was India's highest run-getter and the second overall in their triumphant Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year. He scored 243 runs from five innings at an average of 48.60.

Shreyas played his last Test match in February 2022 against England in Visakhapatnam. The right-handed batter has featured in 14 Tests, scoring 811 runs at an average of 36.86, with five fifties and one century to his name.