With experts advocating for Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in India’s ongoing Test series against England, the batter was seen having a relaxing time with his family in their home, playing cricket with his mother. In a video shared by Punjab Kings, Iyer’s IPL franchise, the PBKS captain was facing deliveries from his mother in the living room with one delivery even breaching his defence.
“Only time SARPANCH won’t mind getting bowled!,” Punjab Kings posted on X, sharing the video.
His mother gleefully celebrated as she shouted “out” with the video ending soon after. Shreyas and his parents share a pretty comfortable bond with his parents taking pride in narrating the pranks their children play on them to visitors.
When The Indian Express visited their home once, the father spoke of how Shreyas was in the habit of fooling them on phone. He once faked an English accent to check if his father was traveling to the UK to watch his son play a county game. When his mother is in the kitchen, Shreyas’s ‘what’s cooking’ inquiry is unique: “Aaj kya bigaad rahi ho (what meal are you spoiling today)”. But still Shreyas might be the only Indian cricketer who still gets dropped to the airport by both his parents.
Only time SARPANCH won’t mind getting bowled! 😂♥️ pic.twitter.com/jYUDd7DkD7
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) June 30, 2025
Meanwhile, there were questions raised over Iyer’s exclusion from India’s extensive 18-member squad announced in May, and the situation sparked more questions about the 30-year-old’s red-ball future at the international level. Iyer was in blistering form in the IPL, leading Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish with his best season with the bat, scoring 604 runs at a 50-plus average and a staggering 175.07 strike rate with 39 sixes. Iyer also had a productive Ranji Trophy season besides leading Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win in December 2024.
In nine First Class matches, including an Irani Cup triumph, Iyer aggregated 699 runs with two centuries and three fifties. However, that would not be enough to make a comeback to the Test squad for Iyer, who last represented India during the 2024 home series against England.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had reasoned that there was no room currently for Iyer in the scheme of things despite his solid form at the domestic level.
“Yes, Shreyas Iyer has played well in domestic cricket, but at the moment, there is no room for him on the Test Team,” he said while speaking to reporters in Mumbai when announcing the Test squad in late May.
