Head coach Gautam Gambhir remained tight-lipped on Wednesday when questioned about the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from India’s squad for the upcoming Test series against England. Despite Iyer’s excellent form and having led Punjab Kings to the IPL playoffs, his name was conspicuously absent from the 18-member Indian squad set to tour England.

The five-Test series, beginning June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, will see Shubman Gill captain the side, with Rishabh Pant named as the vice-captain. The decision to omit Iyer raised several eyebrows, but Gambhir, when asked about it, offered no insight. “I am not a selector,” he said curtly, brushing off the question.

While he avoided the topic of team selection, Gambhir had high praise for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a recent initiative involving the armed forces. The BCCI has invited the chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force to attend the IPL final.