BCCI quashes reports linking Shreyas Iyer to ODI captaincy

The rumor mills appear to be working extra hours as the Indian white-ball setup comes under scrutiny. However, not everything churning out of these mills carries substance in their claims. The announcement of India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025 brought immense criticism for Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI selection chief and the Indian head coach were targeted for their contentious decisions, most significantly for snubbing Shreyas Iyer. Days after the announcement, a separate report claimed that while the board has kept Iyer out of the shorter format, the Mumbai batsman is gearing up to claim India’s ODI captaincy in the coming days.

After Asia Cup snub, BCCI denies looking at Shreyas Iyer for ODI captaincy

In a fresh update emerging from the flames of India’s white-ball showdown, the BCCI chief, Devajit Saikia, has refuted any developments around ODI captaincy. The next assignment on the India cricket schedule is Asia Cup 2025. Serving as a prelude to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, the ACC tournament will be played in the shorter format this time. However, as the Men in Blue brace up for their UAE stint, the 50-over format has hogged the limelight.

Shreyas Iyer starred in IPL 2025 as he led Punjab Kings to their first-ever IPL final in over a decade. However, the batter’s impressive and consistent show across domestic cricket and the IPL did not prove enough to land him in the India squad for the Asia Cup. Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI selection chief, had a simple explanation for Iyer’s snub. The India squad, which welcomed back Shubman Gill in the T20 mix, had no spot available for Iyer, as per Agarkar. Meanwhile, as the noise amplified against BCCI’s treatment of Iyer, a report promised a brighter future for the 30-year-old.

A recent report suggested that Shreyas Iyer is the frontrunner to assume India’s ODI captaincy once Rohit Sharma passes the baton. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from ODIs, the sole format where they remain active, are speculated to be imminent. The BCCI is not looking at the seniors as reliable prospects for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, signaling a phase-out of the veterans before the marquee tournament. Amid the mounting rumors of their retirements, the recent update propped Shreyas Iyer as the next captaincy prospect.

Shreyas Iyer lost his central contract with the BCCI last year for non-adherence to featuring in domestic cricket. However, the Mumbai batter returned to the domestic setup and marked an impressive run, winning the Irani Cup and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Moreover, amid his clash with the board, the batter won the IPL 2024 trophy as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders. The 30-year-old followed with a leading role in India’s title-winning campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year. Furthermore, Iyer scripted yet another brilliant season in the IPL, where he led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final.

While his 2024-25 run across domestic cricket and the IPL saw the BCCI bringing Iyer back into the central contract, his return to the national side is still doubtful. India’s next ODI assignment is scheduled in October on the Australia tour. However, until the 50-over format arrives, the cricketer has failed to break his way into the shorter format despite his recent show in IPL 2025.

The latest update in the debacle, meanwhile, has suggested that Iyer’s snub from the India squad for Asia Cup 2025 does not warrant a consolation spot in the 50-over format. The BCCI chief, Devajit Saikia, reacted to the reports about the board’s plans to give the ODI captaincy to Iyer. Saikia categorically denied any such development.

“That’s news to me. There have been no such discussions,” Saikia told a leading daily.

Meanwhile, another BCCI source touted Shubman Gill to be leading the race. The 25-year-old claimed India’s Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement earlier this year. Gill led the team from the front, clinching a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the five-match India vs England Test series. Upon his return, the board brought him back to the T20I setup, announcing him as the vice-captain of the India squad for Asia Cup 2025. The board clearly views Gill as the promising prospect for India’s next all-format skipper. Given the developments, Gill looks closer to clinching the ODI captaincy than Iyer when the time comes.

“He averages 59 in ODI cricket and is already the vice-captain of the team. There is no way someone who has recently been appointed Test captain, found some success, and has age on his side should not take over leadership in ODI cricket when the time comes,” stated the source about Gill.