Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has said Shreyas Iyer’s return to the Test team would depend on the competition he faces from other players. While Iyer is a certainty in India’s ODI squad, he hasn’t cemented his place in the Test team.

The right-hander scored a century on his Test debut against New Zealand at Kanpur and has an average of 36.86 in 14 Test matches, scoring 811 runs. The Mumbai batter last played a Test match back in February 2024 against England. 

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has scored 243 runs in eight matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 43.83 and a strike rate of 185.21 while leading Punjab Kings.

Iyer was recently added to BCCI’s central contract list after missing the last season.

Ravi Shastri said on ICC review, “Shreyas Iyer, in particular, the way he’s played for India over the last 18 months and he’s become an absolute certainty in the white-ball format of the game, especially the one-day format. He can (earn a recall for Test cricket) but it’s again going to be a competition. White-ball, certain (selection). Test cricket, (we) have got to see who the other players are around.”

The former Indian all-rounder noted that Iyer was very side on his batting stance but has made tactical changes to his technique, which has helped him in playing the short ball, which was his weakness.

“He was very side on, was back and back, very much leg-side. The fact that he’s prepared to go back and across now and with a very upright stance and the pick up. While he’s moving back, the bat’s being picked up as well when he’s going back and across. That allows him to play both sides of the wicket. If they bang it in short, he can pull and hook.”

Punjab Kings will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday.