Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has expressed his surprise after Shreyas Iyer was not included in India’s 18-man squad for the tour of England by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel. 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.
Iyer has amassed 603 runs in 16 IPL 2025 matches at an average of 54.82 and a strike rate of 175.80. The PBKS captain scored a match-winning knock of 87 runs off just 41 balls in the second qualifier against the Mumbai Indians while chasing 204.
Ricky Ponting said on ICC Review, “I actually was gutted…but he’s accepted that really well and he’s moved on. 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.”
The former Australian skipper added Iyer had done everything to earn his Test comeback into the national team.
Ponting said, “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.”
“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,” he added.
Ponting said he enjoys his bond with Shreyas Iyer. The pair had also led Delhi Capitals to the final in IPL 2020.
Ponting concluded, “I enjoy playing a bit of a role with him as we work really well together. We talk a lot together about the game and tactics and, I think he said last night that he said ‘that I leave it to Ricky to look after the tactical stuff and pick the players, and then he hands it over to me and I go and execute it out on the field’”
Speaking on Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion, Agarkar had said in the press conference, “Yes, Shreyas Iyer has played well in domestic cricket, but at the moment, there is no room for him in the Test Team.”
