Expecting an Asia Cup call-up, Shreyas Iyer declined the West Zone captaincy: Reports
The Indian domestic season is set to take off on August 28 with the Duleep Trophy. The tournament has returned to the zonal format for the upcoming edition. When the squads were announced for the Duleep Trophy, the absence of Shreyas Iyer’s name from the captains’ list shocked many. The Mumbai batter was touted as the designated captain of West Zone. However, it is Shardul Thakur who has been handed the team's leadership for the tournament. Now, a new report has shed light on why Iyer missed out on the leading spot. The Mumbai batter himself let go of the opportunity, and reportedly his decision links back to the Asia Cup 2025 selection.
Shreyas Iyer missed out on the opportunity to lead West Zone at Duleep Trophy, hoping for a spot in India's Asia Cup squad
A recent report has revealed that Shreyas Iyer was initially approached to captain West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy season. The 30-year-old Mumbai batter, however, chose to decline the role as he was anticipating a call-up to the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025. The report further informs that the West Zone selectors had first offered the leadership to Iyer, but after his refusal, the responsibility was handed over to Shardul Thakur.
“Yes, it's true Iyer turned down the offer from the West Zone selection committee to captain the team. After that, the chairman of the committee, Sanjay Patil, who is also the Mumbai chief selector, approached Thakur to lead West Zone, an opportunity that Thakur gladly accepted,” a source was quoted as saying in the latest report.
Meanwhile, although Iyer turned down the captaincy role, he has kept himself available for the inter-zonal competition. West Zone is slated to directly play the semi-final of the Duleep Trophy. The India cricket schedule includes the West Indies Test series lined up after the domestic tournament. While Iyer could aim for a spot in the Test squad for the home series, it remains to be seen if the BCCI can find a place for him there either.
The chief selector at BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, announced the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025 earlier this week. Shreyas Iyer, who has impressed consistently across the last two IPL seasons and the domestic cycle, was anticipated to find a spot in the 15-member squad. Quashing the anticipation, the BCCI did not include Iyer even in the reserves list. The India squad saw Shubman Gill returning to the T20I fray after almost a year.
Gill, India’s current Test captain, has been handed the vice-captaincy of the T20I group. However, the same combination that made space for Gill to mark his comeback could not accommodate Iyer. This was despite his outstanding run in IPL 2025, where Iyer amassed 604 runs at a strike rate of 175 while guiding the Punjab Kings to their first final in 11 years. What raised even more eyebrows was the fact that Iyer’s name did not appear among the five standbys either. The omission of an in-form batter has sparked widespread debate, with several former cricketers questioning the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel’s decision.
Furthermore, the same report also revealed that Iyer had already started preparing for the Asia Cup. Expecting a T20I call-up, Shreyas Iyer was apparently sharpening his white-ball game under the guidance of his personal coach, Pravin Amre, at the MCA indoor facility in Bandra Kurla Complex as well as the Cricket Club of India. His expectations were dashed by the Indian board. Agarkar clarified that it was not Iyer's fault for missing out. For Iyer, however, it would still be disappointing, as the cricketer has not left any leaf unturned in his bid for a spot in the shorter format.
