A first-innings half-century in the Irani Cup match last week for the victorious Mumbai team in Lucknow served no good for Shreyas Iyer and his dream of making a return to the Indian Test team. Iyer is unlikely to be named for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand at home after he was named in the Mumbai squad for the opening two Ranji Trophy matches. Sarfaraz Khan, on the other hand, is likely to retain his India place.

Iyer was dropped from the Indian Test team earlier this year, during the home series against England, after a string of poor performances. After his back-to-back knocks of 80s on the tour of Bangladesh in November 2022, which earned a lot of applause, Iyer managed just 187 runs in 12 innings across seven Test matches at 17 with not a single fifty.

The 29-year-old, however, did little to prove the selectors wrong after managing just 154 runs for India D in the Duleep Trophy campaign last month, which comprised two fifties and two dismissals for a duck. He did score a fifty again in the Irani Cup last week, but was dismissed for just eight in the second innings against the Rest of India.

With Iyer being picked for the Ranji Trophy openers for Mumbai, he is unlikely to be part of the India Test squad for the series against New Zealand. But the domestic red-ball tournament will certainly provide him an opportunity, yet again, to show that does deserve a spot in the Indian Test team.

Defending champions Mumbai face Baroda in an away fixture from October 11, while they face Maharashtra at home from October 18, which will coincide with the India-New Zealand first Test in Bengaluru from October 16.

Sarfaraz Khan set for New Zealand series

According to a report in PTI, Sarfaraz, who smashed a match-winning and record-equalling double-century, en route to 222 in the Irani Cup match, is expected to retain his place in the India squad for the New Zealand Tests. The Mumbai batter, who was not named for the Mumbai's Ranji opener against Baroda on October 11, will be at the National Cricket Academy, according to sources.

Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad for first two matches: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhessh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (WK), Sidhaant Addhatrao (WK), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohd. Juned Khan, Royston Dias.

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