Right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer will be leading India A in the upcoming two multi-day matches against Australia A, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was recently left out of the Asia Cup squad, but the selectors have now rewarded him with a leadership role. This development comes amid the ongoing reports of Shreyas possibly taking over from Rohit Sharma as the next ODI captain.
Just a couple of days after the Asia Cup snub, a report in Dainik Jagran claimed that Shreyas is being looked at as the next ODI captain and he could take over from Rohit pretty soon. However, some other reports claim that it would be Shubman Gill who would take over the leadership mantle from the current skipper, who oversaw India’s Champions Trophy win earlier this year.
Recently, the selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar came under a lot of fire for keeping Shreyas out of the Asia Cup squad despite his phenomenal form in the IPL. In the premier T20 tournament, Shreyas scored more than 600 runs at a strike rate of 175 as he led Punjab Kings to their first IPL final in 11 years.
Shreyas has also been out of the Indian Test team since 2024. His leading India A in the upcoming two games against Australia A will augur well for his chances in the upcoming home series against the West Indies and South Africa.
If Shreyas goes on to perform well in the India A games, then he might well be named in the Test squad, as Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair failed to grab their chances in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
It is interesting to note that Sudharsan is a part of the India A squad while Karun is not a member of the 15-member squad.
Also Read: Shreyas Iyer out of T20I team because ‘he brings leadership credentials’: ‘Younger player easier for Gambhir to manage’
The series between India A and Australia A will begin on September 16. The second unofficial Test will be played from September 23. Both matches will be played in Lucknow. Both teams will also face each other in three ODIs. However, the squad for these games is yet to be announced.
KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj will be added to squad
KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj will be added to the India A squad for the second match against Australia A. The duo will replace two players in the squad. However, further details have been kept under wraps by the BCCI.
Both Rahul and Siraj will get a chance to get back into rhythm ahead of the gruelling home season, beginning October 2. Neither Siraj nor Rahul is part of India’s Asia Cup squad, and the duo received ample rest after the five-match series against England, which ended on level terms of 2-2.
In the India A squad, the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Khaleel Ahmed have also been named. Ayush Badoni has earned a call-up on the back of a strong domestic season, while Prasidh Krishna is also a part of the squad.
Prasidh might be named in the upcoming Test squad for the series against the West Indies, and hence, the selectors must have named him so that he gets some game time.
India A squad for two multi-day matches against Australia A: Squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jureel (VC & WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian Prasidh Krishna, Gurnore Brar, Khalel Ahmedabad, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur






