diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
index e5f3d6fa..837d7337 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@
 
 package org.springframework.batch.extensions.excel;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
@@ -63,6 +67,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractExcelItemReader<T> extends AbstractItemCountingIte
 
 	private RowSetFactory rowSetFactory = new DefaultRowSetFactory();
 
+	private Set<String> sheetNames = Collections.emptySet();
+
 	private RowSet rs;
 
 	private String password;
@@ -188,6 +194,10 @@ protected void doOpen() throws Exception {
 	private boolean nextSheet() {
 		while (this.currentSheet < this.getNumberOfSheets()) {
 			final Sheet sheet = this.getSheet(this.currentSheet);
+			if (!this.sheetNames.isEmpty() && !this.sheetNames.contains(sheet.getName())) {
+				this.currentSheet++;
+				continue;
+			}
 			this.rs = this.rowSetFactory.create(sheet);
 			if (this.logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
 				this.logger.debug("Opening sheet " + sheet.getName() + ".");
@@ -214,6 +224,16 @@ protected void doClose() throws Exception {
 		this.rs = null;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Select sheets by name. By default, the reader processes every sheet in workbook
+	 * order.
+	 * @param sheetNames sheet names to process, or no names to process every sheet
+	 */
+	public void setSheetNames(String... sheetNames) {
+		Assert.noNullElements(sheetNames, "Sheet names must not contain null elements");
+		this.sheetNames = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(sheetNames));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Public setter for the input resource.
 	 * @param resource the {@code Resource} pointing to the Excelfile
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/SheetSelectionTests.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/SheetSelectionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5819ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/SheetSelectionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.batch.extensions.excel;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.batch.extensions.excel.mapping.PassThroughRowMapper;
+import org.springframework.batch.infrastructure.item.ExecutionContext;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+class SheetSelectionTests {
+
+	@Test
+	void readsAllSheetsByDefault() throws Exception {
+		assertThat(read(reader())).containsExactly("first", "second", "third");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void readsSelectedSheetsInWorkbookOrder() throws Exception {
+		MockExcelItemReader<String[]> reader = reader();
+		reader.setSheetNames("third", "first");
+		assertThat(read(reader)).containsExactly("first", "third");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void readsNoRowsWhenNoSheetMatches() throws Exception {
+		MockExcelItemReader<String[]> reader = reader();
+		reader.setSheetNames("missing");
+		assertThat(read(reader)).isEmpty();
+	}
+
+	private MockExcelItemReader<String[]> reader() {
+		List<MockSheet> sheets = new ArrayList<>(List.of(sheet("first"), sheet("second"), sheet("third")));
+		MockExcelItemReader<String[]> reader = new MockExcelItemReader<>(sheets);
+		reader.setRowMapper(new PassThroughRowMapper());
+		reader.afterPropertiesSet();
+		return reader;
+	}
+
+	private MockSheet sheet(String name) {
+		return new MockSheet(name, List.<String[]>of(new String[] { name }));
+	}
+
+	private List<String> read(MockExcelItemReader<String[]> reader) throws Exception {
+		List<String> rows = new ArrayList<>();
+		reader.open(new ExecutionContext());
+		try {
+			String[] row;
+			while ((row = reader.read()) != null) {
+				rows.add(row[0]);
+			}
+			return rows;
+		}
+		finally {
+			reader.close();
+		}
+	}
+
+}