Sourav Ganguly Questions Shreyas Iyer's Exclusion as England Include Teenage Sensation Eddie Jack in Test Preparation

Sourav Ganguly has firmly expressed his viewpoint against the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from the Indian team for the forthcoming five-match Test series against England. The former India captain is of the view that Iyer has been playing tremendous cricket and his performances should have been adequate enough to assure him a spot in the Test side. Ganguly believed that without seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli the selectors have lost a golden chance by not picking a player who has delivered under pressure and has established himself across all formats including the recent IPL season. Shreyas Iyer was the leading run-getter of Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 season and delivered the goods for his side with match-winning performances. Ganguly strongly feels that a player in this condition deserves a place and cannot be overlooked at this juncture particularly when he has been displaying maturity, responsibility, and good technique against the short ball.

In an interview with RevSportz Ganguly stated that Iyer has had a great year and this sort of consistency should not be overlooked. He brought out the point that Iyer is not a player who can be rested as he is now performing when it is most crucial and has asserted himself under pressure. Ganguly admitted Test cricket is distinct from limited-overs cricket but contended that it is all the more reason to try Iyer out in the shortest form of the game when he is at the height of his confidence level. Ganguly's remarks have fuelled the current debates on selection transparency and contemporary form being the sole considerations in Indian cricket. It also brings into question greater things on how selectors assess form and fitness and if IPL performances are being taken seriously while selecting players for the Test team. With no Rohit and Kohli in the team most believed that Iyer would be the obvious choice in the middle order but his name surprisingly wasn't mentioned when the final team was declared.

On the other side of things a young up-and-coming English cricketer named Eddie Jack has caught everyone's eye. The 19-year-old Hampshire fast bowler has been asked to train with the senior England side for the first Test against India which gets underway on June 20 at Headingley. His impressive display of bowling in the recently played unofficial four-day matches for England Lions against India A impressed the selectors enough to warrant his call-up into the national fold. Jack most impressed by the dismissal of KL Rahul who had made a century in the first innings of the second unofficial test played at Northampton. That was a big breakthrough wicket and indicated the potential of Jack to perform even against seasoned international batsmen. Although not yet making his County Championship bow the 6-foot-4 bowler has already made his presence felt with his accuracy of pace and his ability to get bounce out of the wicket.

Jack's natural ability was not only being seen in the games but also in the training camps where he impressed members of the coaching panel who comprised of former England greats like Andrew Flintoff Mark Wood and Graeme Swann. These veteran mentors were said to be impressed by his talent and work ethic. He also came out top in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe where he took five wickets playing for a combined counties XI. That performance also confirmed that he has the ability to deliver on larger stages. Jack played for England U-19 previously this year also playing in a series in South Africa and kept his momentum going through the matches against India A. In Northampton he was able to trouble a number of Indian batsmen repeatedly getting beaten and putting pressure. He finally got Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Reddy both of whom have been promising for India in recent months.

Jurel specifically had been a top performer in the Ranchi Test against England in 2022 when he received the player of the match. Taking his wicket was a major morale boost for Eddie Jack and brought him greater recognition in the English cricket fraternity. The young pacer finished the innings with 2 for 71 which is quite impressive given the level of experience of the opposition. England's inclusion of Jack in the senior squad training camp indicates their commitment to investing in young players and rewarding them for recent performances ahead of holding out for a whole domestic season. It's also a shrewd move preparing him for the future and exposing him to top-level batsmen like those in the Indian team.

As India prepares to kick-start their World Test Championship campaign through this high-profile series against England in England the choice of selection from both sides is already making waves. Though India is being criticized for not selecting a hot batting form player such as Shreyas Iyer England is winning accolades for spotting and developing raw talent such as Eddie Jack. The difference in selection philosophy between the two boards has been widely debated by fans and analysts. Ganguly's blunt statement highlights the necessity of form-based selection and how neglecting performing players results in lost opportunities. The series itself will be thrilling with new faces on either side and unpredictable combinations of teams.

All will now watch out for how the Indian batting team fares in the absence of their key players and if any of their middle-order batsmen can rise to the challenge left.Cricket enthusiasts will also be watching if Eddie Jack will get an opportunity to make his debut or even keep impressing in the nets and upcoming matches.All these early advancements are paving the way for an exciting series that could determine the destiny of a number of young cricketers and try the cricket boards' decision-making capabilities in the unforgiving international spotlight.