‘Double Standards’ In England Tests Squad Selection Ex-India Star’s Brutal Verdict

Former Indian cricket team batter Mohammad Kaif criticised the BCCI for not selecting Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming Test series against England. Shreyas was extremely impressive in the domestic circuit and he carried his form to the Champions Trophy for the national team. Even in the ongoing IPL 2025, he has led Punjab Kings by example and has scored 514 runs for them till now. Kaif cited the example of Sai Sudharsan to show that his white-ball form was considered while selecting him for the Tests. However, in Shreyas’ case, that was not considered – something that did not please the former cricketer.

“Sai Sudharsan is a brilliant player, no doubt. But he was picked in the Test squad after a good IPL season (679 runs and counting). Iyer, meanwhile, has been doing well for so long. He scored some 550 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup and in the Champions Trophy as well. He is still doing a terrific job with the bat for Punjab Kings – 514 runs and counting. He is captaining too. So on one hand, you are considering white-ball criteria for one player and not for the other,” Kaif said on YouTube.

Punjab Kings’ skipper Shreyas Iyer on Monday thanked head coach Ricky Ponting for giving him the “freedom to go out and express myself” as the side sealed a spot in the Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 with a convincing seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.

Iyer joined PBKS after guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title last season, and he made an instant impact, guiding the Punjab outfit to its first-ever playoffs since 2014.

“The camaraderie has been there for the past few years between Ricky and I, he gives me a lot of freedom. He lets me be decisive on the field, all these things have culminated in a great way,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“Every individual stepped up at the right time. Starting from game one, we’ve been in the mindset of wanting to win despite the situation. We’ve had players putting their hands up when we were in the dumps. Kudos to support staff and management too.

“Ricky has been fantastic with player management, it’s important for me to get trust too. That happened with the wins early on. Had conversations with them too. You have to maintain good relationships throughout. I feel the dressing room has been top notch throughout,” he added.