England Test Snub Makes Shreyas Iyer "Little Bit Hungrier" For IPL 2025 Title: PBKS Coach Ricky Ponting
The BCCI overlooked Shreyas Iyer while picking up the team for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting spoke about Shreyas Iyer's snub from India's Test squad for England series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) overlooked the PBKS captain while picking up the team for the upcoming five-match Test series against the Three Lions, starting June 20. Ponting, who is currently working with Iyer at PBKS, said that he was "gutted" over the selection committee's decision to leave out the right-handed batter. "I actually was gutted...but he's accepted that really well and he's moved on," Ponting said on The ICC Review before the IPL Playoffs.
"He's just got that real hunger in his eyes to do well every time that he plays for us here and wants to win games of cricket and wants to evolve and develop into the best leader and captain that he can be," he added.
The decision taken by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee regarding Iyer left Pointing "disappointed". The PBKS head coach, however, added that the snub only helped Iyer to strive more for success.
"Certain other players that have been picked in that (Test) squad have done it on the back of good first-class cricket and good IPL seasons leading up to that selection and Shreyas has done absolutely everything the same as some of those other players," Ponting said.
"So I was disappointed that he didn't get picked as I actually felt that he would get picked. But he didn't. And I think that probably makes him a little bit hungrier for us when these playoff games come around."
India selected an 18-member squad for the England Test series with the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair making a comeback to the national team. Rising batting sensation Sai Sudharsan was also given a maiden national call-up in the squad.
India's squad for England Tests: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain and Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
England Cricket Team
India Cricket Team
Punjab Kings