Shreyas Iyer Becomes Team India Captain; Set to Lead in This Important Series

In what has been the latest development, Indian national cricket team batter Shreyas Iyer has been handed the responsibility to lead the India A team in the unofficial three-match 50-over series against Australia A. The two teams will be playing on September 30, October 3 and 5 at Green Park in Kanpur.

Shreyas Iyer’s name recently hogged the headlines after the reports emerged that the batter has asked for a break in red-ball cricket. He was leading the India A team in the unofficial red-ball series against Australia A and after the first game, he left the side and emailed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his decision.

Shreyas Iyer India Captain: Middle Order Batter Set to Lead

Iyer will be India A's captain for the unofficial ODI series against Australia A. He is one of the best ODI batsmen in the world. The right-hander might have decided to move away from red-ball cricket but still remains committed to play white-ball cricket. He was also India A's captain for the first unofficial Test against Australia A where he failed to get a big score.

Two days later after he asked for a red-ball break, the BCCI confirmed about Iyer asking for a break but also rewarded him with the India A captaincy for the unofficial three-match 50-over series against Australia A. He will be replacing Rajat Patidar and Tilak Varma in the role as the duo were initially announced as the captain of India A for the first and last two games respectively.

“Mr Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format. He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup,” the BCCI stated.

Will Shreyas Iyer Become India's ODI Captain?

Earlier, there were reports that BCCI are seeing Shreyas Iyer as the potential candidate to lead the Indian ODI team after Rohit Sharma. This came after he showed impressive performance with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while leading Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Iyer is one of the most successful captains in IPL history. Under his leadership, PBKS reached the final of the tournament after ten long years. He also led from the front, scoring over 600 runs in the tournament. The upcoming India A series will be crucial for him to make an impression and get the leadership in the 50-over format for India.

India A Squad for Unofficial ODI Series Against Australia A

India A Squad for 1st One-day Match: Shreyas Iyer (C), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh

India A Squad for 2nd and 3rd One-day Matches: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abishek Porel (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh