Shreyas Iyer’s short break from first-class cricket has ended sooner than expected. The middle-order batter will now captain India A in three 50-over matches against Australia A in Kanpur between 30 September and 5 October. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the switch late on Thursday, noting in its release: “Iyer will provide experienced leadership to a young squad preparing for the domestic one-day season.”
The change means Rajat Patidar, originally named skipper for the opening one-dayer, moves across to lead the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup against Ranji Trophy holders Vidarbha, starting 1 October in Nagpur.
No vice-captain has been appointed for the first match in Kanpur. For games two and three, Tilak Varma—currently with India’s Asia Cup party in the UAE—will act as deputy once he rejoins the squad.
Key ins and outs
• Patidar—fresh from guiding Central Zone to the Duleep Trophy—leaves the one-day group to front the Irani Cup challenge.
• Asia Cup squad members Tilak, Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh will link up with India A for the second and third fixtures.
• Priyansh Arya and Simarjeet Singh step out after the opening match, as initially planned.
Squads in full
India A, 1st one-day: Shreyas Iyer (capt), 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, 2nd & 3rd one-day: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran (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 (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yash Dhull, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Saransh Jain.
Why the reshuffle?
Selectors prefer Iyer’s international experience at the top of a developing one-day group. Patidar, meanwhile, has a recent record of leadership success and a chance to claim back-to-back domestic trophies. A senior coach involved in the discussions said, “Rajat’s form with the bat and calm presence made him an obvious choice for the Irani Cup.”
Form guide and returnees
• Gaikwad eased concerns over his elbow by scoring 184 for West Zone earlier this month.
• Yash Dhull added 133 in the same Duleep Trophy round, continuing an upward curve.
• Akash Deep, rested since the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy Tests in England, is available again after a taxing tour that included a ten-for at Edgbaston.
Vidarbha, hosting the Irani Cup, boast home-ground familiarity and a settled core, yet face a Rest of India attack pairing Akash Deep’s pace with Saransh Jain’s canny off-spin. Jain was Player of the Duleep Trophy Series and offers control through the middle overs.
What lies ahead
The India A v Australia A one-dayers effectively launch the domestic 50-over season, giving fringe internationals a final audition before the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Irani Cup, running concurrently, maintains its status as a showcase of excellence between the champions and a composite XI.
Expect strategic experimentation—particularly around death-overs bowling and middle-order finishing—but in familiar north-Indian late-monsoon conditions where seamers often enjoy early movement.
Both campaigns underline the selection panel’s focus on workload management. Iyer, rested for the second unofficial Test, is fast-tracked into white-ball cricket; Akash Deep, rested from the Duleep, returns for red-ball duty. Balancing formats remains a delicate act, yet the avenues for players to push their cause are plentiful over the next fortnight.
The first ball in Kanpur is due at 9.00 am on Monday. The Irani Cup begins a day later in Nagpur, with Vidarbha eyeing a first victory in the fixture since 2018 and Patidar’s men chasing a clean sweep of pre-season honours.
