India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, who was promoted to the role of a vice-captain for the upcoming AUS vs IND ODI series from October 19, had recently taken a six-month break from playing red-ball cricket.
Iyer had written to the BCCI regarding the same and the Indian board has granted the dynamic right-hander’s request. However, the decision has left former India selector Dilip Vengsarkar befuddled, who questioned how a player can be fit for a specific format and unfit for another.
Vengsarkar said while speaking to Mid-Day, “To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he [Iyer] says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for the white-ball cricket. I don’t understand the difference between red-ball cricket and the white-ball cricket. I feel that if you are fit for white-ball cricket, you are obviously fit for red-ball cricket too. Choosing red-ball or white-ball and such things are beyond my comprehension.”
For the unversed, Shreyas cited his recurring back issues for the break and claimed that the issues can get exacerbated to the extent that he requires extensive management.
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The 30-year-old led the India A side to a 2-1 win in the recent three-match ODI series against Australia A and also delivered with the bat as well. Iyer slammed a century (110) and a fifty (62) in the three innings and finished as the second-highest scorer in the series with 180 runs at an average of 60.
His recent promotion to Shubman’s deputy will also play a crucial role in supporting the new skipper since Shreyas possesses a stunning captaincy record. Across three different franchises in the IPL, he first helped Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils), taking the team to their maiden Final in IPL 2020. Though he could not lift the title as the captain in that edition, Shreyas accomplished the unfulfilled feat with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024 before guiding Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a final after 11 years in IPL 2025.
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