He failed in the first game against Australia A.
Shreyas Iyer won’t be available for the second India A game against Australia A in Lucknow, starting tomorrow. He was the captain in the first game, and while the reason remains uncertain, he has returned to Mumbai, a source confirmed to The Times of India.
However, the source added that Iyer will be in contention for a return to the Test side when they pick the squad for the West Indies series. His last outing for India in this format came in February last year.
“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. 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.”
Iyer didn’t have a fruitful first game on a flat surface, where he was the only batter in the top eight not to reach double digits. He could only score eight runs in 13 balls, including a solitary boundary, and was also ineffective in the Duleep Trophy 2025, registering scores of 25 & 12 against Central Zone in Bengaluru.
The wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who was already the vice-captain of the side, will take over the captaincy duties in Iyer’s absence in the second unofficial Test against Australia A. He starred with the willow in the first innings and was the second-highest scorer in the fixture.
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He scored 140 runs in 197 deliveries, comprising 13 boundaries and four maximums, while batting at No.6 to help India A remain in the game. When he arrived, India A were 222/4 and required a partnership to avoid falling behind Australia A’s massive first-innings score of 532/6.
Jurel did precisely that by stitching a whopping 228-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who also batted exceptionally well to score 150. His knock ensured India A were able to reach near the opponent’s score and piled on 531/7 in their first attempt before the game ended in a draw.
Jurel has been in scintillating form in red-ball cricket and scored three fifties in four outings against England Lions on the shadow tour to England, leading to his inclusion in The Oval Test when Rishabh Pant was absent due to a toe fracture. If Pant doesn’t make it to the Test squad for the home series against the West Indies, Jurel will act as a first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and will fill the slot.
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