Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to make his comeback to the Indian Test side in the near future, feels former opener Aakash Chopra. Iyer, who last played a Test for India during the series against England at home, did not find a place in the squad for the first Test of the upcoming two-match rubber against Bangladesh. The 29-year-old also lost his central contract earlier this year after reportedly refusing to play domestic cricket, citing injury concerns. Last month, Iyer was recalled to the ODI side by new India coach Gautam Gambhir, but the player had a disappointing outing as Sri Lanka won a famous series.

Chopra feels that a lot has changed in the Indian team over the past six months, adding that it would be difficult for Iyer to make a comeback for now.

“It’s interesting that last time when we beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh, Shreyas Iyer gave a very important performance in the last match. We won because he played a crucial knock, but since then, the world has changed. I don’t see any chances for Shreyas Iyer in Tests at the moment,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chopra also highlighted the presence of Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and KL Rahul in the squad is not a good sign for Iyer, even though the three selected players aren’t guaranteed to play all the matches.

“Whoever is there will also not be able to play all the matches. The guys who are part of this team, which includes Sarfaraz, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, I feel they only won’t be able to come in the XI. So where will Shreyas Iyer come in this?” he added.

Meanwhile, Iyer is currently leading India D in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. His team suffered a loss to India C in the opening round of matches.

As per a Times of India report, Iyer’s inconsistent performances in red-ball cricket, as well as a poor 2024 season, played a role in making the selectors overlook him over a Test recall.