Former India captain Sourav Ganguly voiced his surprise over Shreyas Iyer’s continued omission from the T20I team just days after India’s triumph in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Ganguly said that the absence of Iyer and a few other talented players from the T20I setup only reflects India’s extraordinary depth and dominance in the shortest format.
The Men in Blue created history by becoming the first side to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first team to claim the title three times. Across their victorious campaigns in the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, India won 16 of their 17 matches.
Speaking about players like Iyer and a few others who were not part of the World Cup-winning squad, Ganguly told Revsportz:
If Bumrah remains fit, with Virat [Kohli] and Rohit [Sharma], India can make another team. The T20 team that played in the World Cup, then there is Virat, Rohit, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal who does not get a game, Vaibhav Suryavanshi who would play in any team in the world, Shreyas Iyer who does not get a T20 game – I am absolutely flabbergasted about him not getting a spot in white-ball cricket.”
He further continued:
“Then Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep, who again does not get a game. So overall, I feel India could have another T20 side and still be an international team.”
“Rough around the edges, but a fierce competitor”- Sourav Ganguly on Gautam Gambhir
Sourav Ganguly believes Gautam Gambhir has the right intentions as India national cricket team head coach, even though he is known for his fiery nature on the field. Gambhir has faced criticism since taking charge in mid-2024 due to India’s struggles in Test cricket.
However, under his leadership, India has excelled in white-ball formats, winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Asia Cup, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
“He may be rough around the edges, but he is a competitor. He does not need to be rough because he is a good man. I have seen him. I have played with him for India. He wants to win. He says the right things about his team and tries to create an environment of team over individuals,” said Ganguly (via the aforementioned source).
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