As Team India announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, one of the biggest talking points came ahead of the selection meeting, when India's star batter Shreyas Iyer opted out of Test cricket for at least six months.
India is all set to play a two-match Test series against the West Indies at home. The series will commence on October 2nd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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India's chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, has now opened up on a potential leadership role for Shreyas Iyer at the International stage for India in the white-ball format.
Is Shreyas Iyer the next ODI captain for India?
While the Mumbai batter won't play in the Test format for some time, the BCCI has given him the leadership responsibilities for the List A sides.
Shreyas Iyer informed the BCCI about his decision to take a long break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back issues. The Punjab Kings skipper, however, recently captained the India A side in their unofficial Test against Australia A. He has also been named skipper for the unofficial ODIs next month.
While he is not in the side for Tests and T20Is, Iyer has been an integral part of the Indian 50-over setup. The batter played a key role in India's campaigns at the ICC 2023 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
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On being asked whether the BCCI is looking at Iyer as the next Indian ODI captain, Agarkar stated:
"Shreyas Iyer is a senior player and leads his franchise in the IPL. He was also captain for India A, so it's not like we are looking at him as a Test captain for that reason. We are trying to find qualities of a leader, and India A gives us the opportunity to see them," said Agarkar
The Mumbaikar has extensive experience leading a team. Under Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL title in 2024, while the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals reached the finals of the prestigious league.
Iyer takes an indefinite break from Test cricket
While many expected Shreyas Iyer to return for the two-Test matches against the West Indies, things did not go as planned.
The Indian veteran decided to opt out of playing the red-ball format due to his concerns about his back. Iyer has had some troubles with his back in the past, and as per reports, he again felt some discomfort after the first unofficial Test against Australia A, where he was leading the India A side.
"Unfortunately, he won't be available for red-ball cricket, but he's been available for one-day cricket. He's been a key player in ODIs and gets three games before we go to Australia. We want him playing and playing well because he is a key member of the ODI squad," added Agarkar
Iyer has been named as the captain of the India A side that will take on Australia A in an unofficial ODI series. He will continue to feature for India in the shorter formats and will have a key role to play as the side prepares for the 2027 World Cup.
India's squad for the Test series against the West Indies announced
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Sai Sudharsan
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- N Jagadeesan (wk)
- Ravindra Jadeja (vc)
- Washington Sundar
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Prasidh Krishna
- Mohammed Siraj
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
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