Robin Uthappa says Shreyas Iyer should have been picked for England tour

Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa believes Shreyas Iyer should have been picked for the England tour. The Mumbai batter was ignored by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection in India’s 18-man squad, which was announced on Saturday.

Iyer scored 480 runs in five Ranji Trophy 2024-25 matches at an impressive average of 68.57, but chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the Mumbai batter needs to perform more at the domestic level.

Furthermore, Iyer has been in fine form in the ongoing IPL 2025 while leading the Punjab Kings. Iyer has scored 488 runs in 13 matches at an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 172.43 in the ongoing season.

Robin Uthappa said on his YouTube Channel, “He [Iyer] played five matches in Ranji Trophy in this past season, averaging about 58 or 60, 450-odd runs. So, dominant force in Indian cricket. We know his leadership ability and quality. I really felt that there was space for him as a backup batter in the middle order. If there’s any injury, I’m hoping that he’s the one who gets picked. I don’t think you can keep him away from those whites for too long.”

On the other hand, chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah won’t be available for all five Test matches. Uthappa said he would like to see Arshdeep Singh play in place of Bumrah when the latter isn’t playing.

“If Bumrah is not playing, I will certainly play Arshdeep Singh because I think he will be more than a handful in Test cricket with the red ball. I think he’s very underrated as a red-ball bowler, and we will see the full depth of his prowess in Test cricket. I’m happy that he’s getting to play as a filler to Bumrah because he’ll bring the same level of effectiveness as far as I’m concerned, my gut,” he remarked.

The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.