Sat May 24 14:30:00 UTC 2025: ## India Announces Test Squad for England Series: Iyer and Sarfaraz Miss Out, Nair Returns After Seven Years

**New Delhi:** The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series against England on Saturday, with some surprising omissions and a long-awaited return. While expected call-ups were given to Sai Sudharshan, Arshdeep Singh, and Karun Nair, the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan has raised eyebrows.

Iyer, who has been in impressive form in both limited-overs cricket for India and the IPL 2025, failed to find a place in the squad. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged Iyer’s recent performances but stated, “Right now there’s no room in Test cricket.”

The selection committee opted to recall Karun Nair after a seven-year absence, citing his consistent performances in domestic cricket and experience. “Karun has scored heaps of runs in domestic, has played a bit of Test cricket, played a bit of county cricket,” Agarkar explained. “With Virat not there, clearly we’re lacking a bit of experience. We felt his experience could help.” The decision to favor Nair over Sarfaraz Khan, who recently scored a century in the first Test, was described as a “decision the team management takes.”

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh received his maiden Test call-up, capitalizing on Mohammed Shami’s unavailability due to fitness concerns. Agarkar highlighted Singh’s county experience and ability to bowl with the new ball as key factors in his selection. “He’s a quality bowler and has had a taste of county as well… Bumrah unlikely to play all five Tests, we needed a bit of variety,” he stated.

The squad also includes seam-bowling all-rounders Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with Agarkar expressing confidence in their ability to contribute in English conditions. “Shardul a bowling allrounder, sometimes you need a player like that depending on team balance… Nitish is a batting allrounder at this point, hopefully his bowling will come along as well,” he added.

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