Mumbai, Sept 25 (UNI) Shreyas Iyer’s decision to step away from red-ball cricket for six months due to recurring back spasms has resulted in him being appointed captain of the India A side for the upcoming one-day series against Australia A.
The BCCI confirmed today that Iyer, recovering from back surgery, was not considered for the Irani Cup but will lead the white-ball outfit in Kanpur from September 30 to October 5.
The board explained that Iyer, though having managed his recovery well after surgery in the United Kingdom, had reported stiffness and spasms 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 release stated.
With Iyer stepping into the India A leadership role, Rajat Patidar, who was originally named for the assignment, has been handed the reins of the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha starting October 1. Tilak Varma, earlier slated to captain the second and third matches against Australia A, has been named Iyer’s deputy instead.
The India A squad otherwise remains unchanged, with Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Arshdeep Singh joining from the second match onwards following Asia Cup commitments with the national side.
India A squads:
1st one-dayer: Dhreyas 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.
2nd & 3rd one-dayers: 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.
Patidar to lead in Irani Cup
Patidar will now captain the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup, with Ruturaj Gaikwad as his deputy. The squad includes Abhimanyu Easwaran and Akash Deep—both part of India’s recent Test tour of England—and Manchester Test debutant Anshul Kamboj. Their inclusion suggests they may not be part of India’s squad for the West Indies Test series beginning October 2 in Ahmedabad.
Rest of India squad (Irani Cup): Rajat Patidar (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Aryan Juyal (wk), Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Saransh Jain.
The dual announcements highlight the selectors’ attempt to manage workloads while balancing opportunities—Iyer focusing on white-ball duties as part of his phased return, and Patidar along with other fringe red-ball aspirants gaining exposure in the Irani Cup.
