You have to respect World Cup winners: Finch on Shreyas Iyer's T20I chances

New Delhi, April 17 Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes that it is not simple bringing in-form batter Shreyas Iyer back into India’s T20I setup, despite his recent impressive performances, including a standout knock of 66 runs against Mumbai Indians (MI), which helped his side chase the 196 runs target in just 16.3 overs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

Finch highlighted the extraordinary depth in Indian cricket, particularly in the batting department, suggesting that even top players face stiff competition for a place in the national side. “You look at the depth India has at the moment. We can’t beat the side that’s in the park. Not sure we’d beat their second side, perhaps even the third,” Finch told ESPNCricinfo.

India’s recent success, having secured back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, further complicates selection decisions. Finch stressed that players who have delivered on the biggest stage deserve to retain their spots.

“You have to respect who’s in the position at the moment. They’re coming off a World Cup win. It’s not as simple as saying someone is in great form and just bringing him in. It’s unfortunate timing for those in the second rung,” he added.

However, Finch pointed out that future tournaments, including the next T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia, could open doors for players like Iyer, especially given the different playing conditions.

“With the next World Cup in Australia, conditions will be different—more bounce. You need players who can perform globally, not just in Indian conditions. Shreyas definitely falls into that category,” Finch noted.

Despite continuous good performance in IPL, both with the bat and as a captain, Iyer has been overlooked by Team India for T20Is. He has missed India's T20 World Cup title-winning campaigns in 2024 and 2026.

Iyer has played 51 T20Is for India and has scored 1104 runs at an average of 30.66. The middle-order batter has also hit eight fifties.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor