No chance for Shreyas Iyer; BCCI has already identified the next ODI captain, reckons Aakash Chopra

Shreyas Iyer has been at the center of discussion as India gears up for Asia Cup 2025. The debate arose when the BCCI opted to ignore the Mumbai batsman for the T20I tournament. With an impressive IPL 2025 season, boasting over 600 runs to his credentials as the Punjab Kings captain, Iyer was expected to land a spot in the India squad for the Asia Cup. However, it was not to be, as the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, failed to find a spot for the PBKS captain. While T20Is have not been benevolent to Iyer, the middle-order batter is perceived as a vital cog in the Indian ODI setup, highlighted again by his performance at the ICC Champions Trophy.

Shubman Gill set to become India's next ODI captain, Shreyas Iyer not in the race: Aakash Chopra

After the Asia Cup snub, a report emerged suggesting that the BCCI is looking at Iyer as a potential candidate for India's captaincy in the 50-over format. Rohit Sharma is already 37 and has retired from the rest of the formats. With the board keen on bringing up the transition ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, the race to claim India's ODI captaincy has intensified. With his rich credentials in the format, added to his title-winning captaincy stints in the IPL and domestic cricket, Iyer has been touted as a deserving pick.

However, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has dashed the possibility. According to Chopra, the BCCI has already set its sights on Shubman Gill. The 25-year-old succeeded Rohit Sharma as India's Test captain earlier this year. The batter spearheaded India's campaign in the five-match Test series against England. Smashing multiple records, Gill scored 754 runs across the five Tests and clinched a hard-fought draw in his first assignment as captain.

Upon his return from the India vs England series, the BCCI handed him his vice-captaincy spot back in the T20Is. The Asia Cup 2025 will mark Gill's return to the shorter format after almost a year. The break, provided for Gill to focus on Tests and ODIs, however, did not hamper his standing. Gill is back in the fold and will head to the UAE as India's designated vice-captain. All of this is nothing but a sign that the BCCI is grooming Gill as India's next all-format captain.

"It was said that Shreyas Iyer would become the captain, that he would pip Shubman Gill to the post. In my opinion, the next captain has been decided without appointment. It has been decided that it would be Shubman Gill," Chopra said in a recent interaction.

"He is the Test captain. He has been made T20I vice-captain, maybe not out of turn as they had a logic, but Axar Patel hadn't done anything wrong, and no one felt that the spot would automatically go to him, and you could have argued against it as well. If he has been made the T20I vice-captain, he is already the ODI vice-captain. So don't ask the question. Shubman Gill is going to be the next captain," he added.