Shreyas Iyer Appointed India ‘A’ Captain for ODI Series Against Australia ‘A’
Iyer to lead India A in Kanpur as Rajat Patidar captains Rest of India in Irani Cup
The BCCI on Thursday announced Shreyas Iyer as the captain of the India A squad for the three-match one-day series against Australia A, set to begin in Kanpur on September 30. Rajat Patidar will lead the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup, which will start on October 1 against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha in Nagpur.
Iyer had earlier captained India A in the first unofficial four-day Test against Australia A but withdrew from the second match, requesting a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back issues. The BCCI approved his request, allowing him to focus on fitness, endurance, and recovery following back surgery in the UK.
“Shreyas Iyer has managed his recovery well but recently experienced stiffness and spasms while playing the longer format. He will utilise this period to build endurance and body resilience,” the BCCI said in a statement. Consequently, he was not considered for the Irani Cup.
Despite injury setbacks, Iyer has been in fine form this year, finishing as India’s highest run-getter in the Champions Trophy campaign with 243 runs in five innings and guiding Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final.
The India A squad will see additions of pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, joining for the second and third one-day matches on October 3 and 5 while still in the UAE for the Asia Cup.
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, Abhishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh
India A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-day matches: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Verma (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 squad (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
Shreyas Iyer’s leadership is expected to provide stability and experience to the India A side, while his fitness break ensures he returns stronger for future formats.
