Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made a bold statement regarding the selection of Shreyas Iyer, expressing that he would protest if Iyer is overlooked for India’s upcoming T20I assignments. Tiwary’s strong support comes in the wake of Iyer’s outstanding performances in the Indian Premier League.
Leading Punjab Kings, Iyer has been in incredible form both as a captain and as a batter. His recent unbeaten 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad further underlined his excellent form and ability to handle pressure situations. According to Tiwary, Iyer’s composure at the crease and his ability to anchor innings make him a strong candidate for India’s T20I setup.
"He showed great composure in his batting. If, even after this, he is not selected for the Indian team, we will go on a protest and fight for him. We will try to ensure that he gets what he deserves," Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.
He asserted that such performances should not go unnoticed, particularly when the team is looking for stability and leadership in the middle order following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
"We have already seen that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have taken retirement. The Indian team needs a player who can show full control and help the team win ICC trophies," he said.
Iyer’s resurgence in IPL 2025 was on full display after he guided Punjab Kings to the final. But they lost to RCB in the final. Last season too, he remained highly effective in terms of batting, slamming 604 runs in 17 matches. Despite having a great season with the bat, Iyer had missed out on a place in India's T20 World Cup squad.