'His technique doesn't line up at the moment' - Monty Panesar backs BCCI's decision to exclude Shreyas Iyer from Test squad

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England, the omission of star batter Shreyas Iyer grabbed attention, triggering debate among fans and experts. Iyer, who has been in excellent white-ball form, was expected by many to return to India’s Test lineup. The former England spinner Monty Panesar has backed BCCI's decision to omit Iyer as he feels the batter isn't yet ready for red-ball cricket in English conditions.

With senior players like Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli exiting from Test cricket, the team is in a transition phase. Under the leadership of the new captain, Shubman Gill, and with some new faces in the mix, the team is set to take on the English Team. Iyer’s exclusion, despite his strong recent performances in white-ball cricket, including being the second-highest run-scorer in India’s victorious 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, was not taken well by many. However, Panesar supports the decision.

“Shreyas Iyer's got a very good technique against flat tracks and bouncy pitches. I think the swinging conditions, maybe his technique doesn't line up at the moment. That's what I think. Because I think his hands are a bit hard. He hasn't got the soft touch, playing late with the swing ball. Seeing the swing early and playing late, he does come hard at the ball,” Panesar told as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

Dhawan backs Gill to excel as Test captain

Read More

Dhawan backs Gill to excel as Test captain

He needs to play county cricket: Monty Panesar

Panesar pointed out that the Mumbai batter's technique is better suited to flat and bouncy wickets, and not ideal for England’s seaming pitches. He further mentioned that if Iyer is serious about getting his Test career back on track, he should play a full season of county cricket.

“So, I think technique-wise, his game probably isn't suited for swinging conditions at the moment. And that's why they probably thought that, give some of the other players a go whose game is suited against swinging-seeming conditions. In terms of Shreyas Iyer, to get into the Test team, I think he needs to play county cricket. If he's serious about playing Test cricket, he needs to find a county and play a season of county cricket. And then, prove to the selectors that his technique is up to standard against a swimming string and ball,” Panesar added.

In the Champions Trophy, the 30-year-old scored 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, and in IPL 2025, representing Punjab Kings, he has smashed 516 runs in 15 matches with five fifties so far. Meanwhile, under his leadership, PBKS has managed to enter the IPL playoffs after 11 years.