Shreyas Iyer’s noteworthy exclusion from the selection had prompted serious discussions amongst the cricket fraternity, as he seemed almost a front-runner to be in the team after the departure of two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, for the England tour. However, the topic soon got grounded as the talks around the series began.
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Will Shreyas Iyer Be in India’s Test Squad?
Now, the talks of Shreyas Iyer in Duleep Trophy showing maturity and a desire to be a part of the Indian Test team are surfacing again. The sole reason for the same is that the Mumbai-born batter, who was not regarded as an important element of India’s middle-order strategy, has declared his intention to compete in the Duleep Trophy 2025.
What is the Duleep Trophy?
The Duleep Trophy is still one of Indian domestic cricket’s most prestigious first-class events. The competition, named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji, has long been an important platform for Test cricket prospects to demonstrate their red-ball cricket prowess. The competition has changed throughout time, from a zonal format to a team-based structure and, as of 2025, into a hybrid format with six teams: North Zone, South Zone, East Zone, West Zone, Central Zone, and NortheastZone.
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This year’s edition features the comeback of several India internationals hoping to either find form or remain in the selectors’ peripheral vision. Aside from Iyer, players Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mayank Agarwal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shivam Mavi have also confirmed their participation. The competition has become an important scouting ground for selectors, particularly with the World Test Championship cycle in full force. With several Test regulars on white-ball commitments or recovering from injury, the Duleep Trophy provides a testing ground for reserve players and a chance for them to make their case stronger for the national team.
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In 2024-25, the tournament was played with four teams: India A, India B, India C, and India D, where the player performances had a direct impact on their call-up to the national roster, laying the groundwork for the tournament’s expanding importance and instilling confidence among the players to perform well and get a chance to earn the baggy blue. One classic example is Anshul Kamboj, who was the player of the series last time around with 16 wickets and got a chance to debut against England in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar 2025 series.
What Caused the Exclusion of Shreyas Iyer?
In the toughest format of the game, Shreyas Iyer has been nothing but impressive in whatever chances he has gotten to prove a point. Having scored more than 800 runs in just 14 test matches, Iyer’s absence from the Test selection for the England series caused concerns. The only understandable reason was that the selectors thought he might not be able to perform better than the youngsters who had been scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket.
Players like Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Sai Sudharsan, who got a chance to be part of the Indian squad for the England tour, have a lot of runs to their name in domestic cricket and rightly deserve the call-up to the test team. If Iyer can score runs in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, he might get a nod ahead of Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan, who did not have a great tour this time around.
🚨 IYER TIME IN DULEEP TROPHY. 🚨
– Shreyas Iyer has made himself available for Duleep Trophy. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/I18gFOA0xu
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 1, 2025
Shreyas Iyer in Duleep Trophy is no stranger to disappointments and running out of luck. If there is a player who will fight for the spot in the team and earn it, it is Shreyas Iyer. Before his international debut, he had also dominated the domestic circuit, particularly in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy, where he amassed 1,321 runs at an average of 73.38, making him the second-highest run-scorer in a single Ranji season at the time.
Now that the spotlight has shifted away from him and the pressure has subsided, Iyer has a wonderful opportunity in the Duleep Trophy 2025 to reclaim the form that propelled him to the Test side. A couple of big runs on sporty pitches might not only restore his reputation but also send a message to the selectors ahead of India’s long test season late this year.
Conclusion
Iyer’s willingness to compete in the Duleep Trophy 2025 rather than sit out following his exclusion exemplifies an athlete who is prepared to work hard. While competition for test places has increased, Iyer’s talent and domestic pedigree remain obvious. As India continues to recycle and rebuild its red-ball cricket team in this World Championship cycle, Iyer’s performances in the next weeks could play a critical role in scripting his red-ball cricket redemption and making him a permanent middle-order batter in the Indian test side. Shreyas Iyer in Duleep Trophy will be one to watch out for.
