Just hours before India A’s second unofficial Test vs Australia A, Shreyas Iyer quit captaincy and returned home. BCCI has not commented, but reports say he’s resting while still in contention for India’s upcoming Test series against West Indies.
Just hours before the second unofficial Test against Australia A, Shreyas Iyer quit the India A captaincy, left the squad, and returned home to Mumbai on Monday. India A are playing the second and final unofficial Test of the series against Australia A at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, September 23.
The first unofficial Test ended in a draw after rain washed out the final day’s play, with Australia A declaring at 532/6 and India A replying with 531/7 declared. India A were led by Shreyas Iyer, who did not have a good outing as he was dismissed for just 8 runs in the first innings. As India prepared for the second Test, Shreyas made a sudden exit from the team and handed over leadership duties to wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
It was reported earlier by Cricbuzz that Shreyas Iyer was unlikely to be available for India A’s second unofficial Test against Australia A, as he returned to Mumbai from Lucknow after leading the hosts in the first unofficial Test, which concluded on September 19.
Why did Shreyas Iyer leave India A squad?
Shreyas Iyer’s sudden exit from the India A squad raised concerns about the timing of his departure, sparking speculation over the reasons behind his unexpected decision just before the second unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not release an official statement on Shreyas Iyer’s exit from the India A squad. According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), a source close to the BCCI confirmed that the 30-year-old has returned home to Mumbai and is taking a rest. The source also stated that Shreyas is in fray for the selection for the Test series against West Indies.
“Yes, Shreyas is taking a break and has returned to Mumbai. He has informed the selectors that he won’t be able to play in the second four-day match against Australia A,” a source said as quoted by TOI.
“However, he remains in fray for a spot in the middle-order when the selectors meet to pick the squad for the West Indies series,” he added.
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After being snubbed from the India squad for the Test series against England and the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, Shreyas Iyer was picked as captain of the India A squad for the two unofficial Tests against Australia A, indicating the possibility of returning to Test set-up for India’s home series against West Indies, which will take place on October 2
BCCI to announce India squad for West Indies Test series
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce the India squad for the upcoming West Indies Test series on Wednesday, September 24. The squad announcement will coincide with India’s Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium.
The squad is likely to see a few changes from the Test series against England. Dhruv Jurel is expected to be picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper, as Rishabh Pant is still recovering from a toe fracture sustained during the Old Trafford Test in Manchester. Devdutt Padikkal is expected to get a nod over his Karnataka teammate Karun Nair, who did not have an ideal comeback to Test cricket in the series against England.
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Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to be picked for the Test series against West Indies. There is an uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the series opener in Ahmedabad due to his workload management.
It remains to be seen whether Shreyas Iyer will be included in India’s final squad for the West Indies Test series. Iyer’s last appearance in a Test was against England in February last year.