September 26, 2025

Shreyas Iyer is all set to grab the spotlight again! On Thursday, he was appointed as the India A captain for a thrilling three-match one-day series against Australia A, starting September 30 in Kanpur. This gig is a golden chance for Iyer to prove he can lead the senior 50-over team soon. But hold on—there’s a twist! Iyer, 30, has decided to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Why? His stiff back won’t let him handle the long format's tough grind. He told Ajit Agarkar, BCCI’s chairman of selectors, about his decision. "Mr Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket," said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. "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." Iyer plans to use these six months to rebuild his strength and fitness. Because of this, he was not picked for the Irani Cup matches. Iyer, who underwent back surgery earlier this year, recently played red-ball cricket for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy, scoring an average of over 41. The India A squad is buzzing with talent. Key players include leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh, big-hitter all-rounder Riyan Parag, and power-hitter Ayush Badoni. Top-order batters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, plus pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, will join the team for the 2nd and 3rd matches on October 3 and 5. Delhi’s Priyansh Arya and pacer Simarjeet Singh will sit out when those Asia Cup stars come in. Meanwhile, Badoni is busy playing the second unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow. In other big news, Rajat Patidar is leading the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup clash against Vidarbha starting October 1 in Nagpur. Patidar proved his mettle with two centuries and two half-centuries in the Duleep Trophy. The Rest of India squad also features familiar faces like opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Here’s a quick look at the squads: India A for 1st ODI: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (wk), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh. India A for 2nd & 3rd ODIs: 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, Abhishek Porel (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh. Rest of India (Irani Cup): Rajat Patidar (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Aryan Juyal (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Saransh Jain. Will Shreyas Iyer’s leadership in India A open the door for him to captain the senior Indian ODI team? The cricket world will watch eagerly as he leads the charge in Kanpur this September!

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Tags: Shreyas iyer, India a, Cricket, Australia a series, Red-ball cricket break, Irani cup,