Shreyas Iyer writes to BCCI after quitting India A captaincy; withdraws from Windies Tests as red-ball future on brink

[rollingstoned]

Shreyas Iyer writes to BCCI after quitting India A captaincy; withdraws from Windies Tests as red-ball future on brink

Shreyas Iyer was named the India A captain for the series against Australia A, with the aim of gearing him up for the home Test series against the West Indies.

Hours after quitting India A captaincy and leaving the camp in Lucknow, midway through the red-ball series against Australia A, Shreyas Iyer reportedly wrote to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking a ‘break' from the format. Iyer explained that familiar issues troubled him during the first unofficial India A game, and hence withdrew his name from contention for a spot in the Indian team for the upcoming Test series against West Indies at home next month.

 

Shreyas Iyer, captain of India A, goes back to the pavilion after being lbw by Rocchiccioli of Australia A during the third day of 1st Test cricket match

 

Iyer was named the India A captain for the two-match red-ball series against Australia A, with the aim of gearing him up for the home contest against the West Indies. The international fixture, slated to begin early next month, would have marked his return to Test cricket for the first time since he was dropped midway through the home series against England in February 2024. However, he pulled out of the second game against Australia A, and according to a report in The Indian Express, after consulting with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, he wrote to the BCCI making a formal plea.

 

 

The report revealed that he told the selectors that "he is facing stiffness in his back and his body cannot take the toll of the red ball cricket anymore." He said that, given his condition, he can't take the field for more than four days, and that he now wants to take a break and recuperate until his body is ready for red-ball cricket. Iyer also told the selectors that the issue remained last year as well, but he had managed to take a break between overs during Ranji Trophy matches, but couldn't do the same during India A matches or international fixtures.

“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in coming months and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in future in consultation with physios and trainer and take a call on it,” a source confirmed.

This is not the first time that Iyer has been troubled by back issues. Earlier, he had reportedly sought medical help after being dropped from the India squad during the England Test series at home last year, and hence told the Mumbai Cricket Association that he wouldn't be able to play in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals. However, the issue snowballed into a major controversy after Nitin Patel, then head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy, informed the selectors that Iyer was carrying ‘no fresh injury’ and that he was 'fit'.

With BCCI having released a mandate for all players on contract to participate in domestic cricket competitions when not on national team duty, Iyer's act left them fuming. The batter was later left out of BCCI's central contract list.

[NameGoesHere]

No worries Iyer, I am certain you’ll be fit for the really important stuff like the IPL….

 

For a long time I’d categorised this guy and Prithvi Shaw together without really understanding why.  Because Iyer has had a much better track record

 

I guess I know now.  Pity. 
 

Note: if he was deemed fit by medical staff but still quit this second game, it’s his call and he knows his body best.  But please never play Tests for India again. 
 

More important, please don’t ever tell us you’re a serious cricketer.  You’re an ODI tailunt, leave it there and know your place. 
 

Edited September 24, 2025 by NameGoesHere

[tapandrun]

S.Iyer is 30 yo now, he know fr test he is just been looked as a mo batter for Ind home games similar to sarffarz and away or sena tests he will be dropped for some1 else.

 

At this time he is thinking what other Ind batter thought and worked upon like jitesh, sky , DK to improve white-ball game, there they have better chance of making to Ind team more consistently.

 

He knows he is still a fringe player in all the formats and the best format that he can return to is t20s or white-ball. 

 

Would not say he is at fault here but he is trying to look after his future. Improve white-ball game stay in lime light in IPL get into Ind t20i side and then many be solidify odi spot too.

 

He was not far away from being dropped from odi team only 1 sudden injury to kolhi and 1 good know got him back eles he would have been dropped.

[Gollum]

50 minutes ago, tapandrun said:

He knows he is still a fringe player in all the formats and the best format that he can return to is t20s or white-ball. 

He is ODI MVP though, and that number 4 spot is extremely hard to fit as we saw in 2019 WC. 23 WC and 25 CT, he showed his worth, best number 4 in the world. 

[Nikhil_cric]

Back injuries are no joke. They never fully heal. Even ordinary folks struggle with it for the rest of their lives, let alone athletes 

 

I don't think Shreyas is wrong to prioritise white ball cricket. 

[Gollum]

Quote

he told the selectors that "he is facing stiffness in his back and his body cannot take the toll of the red ball cricket anymore." He said that, given his condition, he can't take the field for more than four days, and that he now wants to take a break and recuperate until his body is ready for red-ball cricket. Iyer also told the selectors that the issue remained last year as well, but he had managed to take a break between overs during Ranji Trophy matches, but couldn't do the same during India A matches or international fixtures.

“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in coming months and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in future in consultation with physios and trainer and take a call on it,” a source confirmed.

 

People deliberately ignored this part? If he is having serious chronic back issues, good on him for prioritizing his body. At least he is being transparent in his communication, and asked selectors to withdraw his candidature from test selection in coming months. That is the opposite of selfishness. 

[tapandrun]

2 minutes ago, Gollum said:

He is ODI MVP though, and that number 4 spot is extremely hard to fit as we saw in 2019 WC. 23 WC and 25 CT, he showed his worth, best number 4 in the world. 

Yes but he would have been dropped from CT25 team if kolhi didnt have that sudden injury in Eng series. Odis are now shrinking format there will be fewer Odi series and fewer odis.

 

Boards and broadcaster is now asking for more t20is. So a tour will now have a 5 game t20i series and 3 game Odi series unless its a Odi wc year.

[Nikhil_cric]

3 hours ago, tapandrun said:

Yes but he would have been dropped from CT25 team if kolhi didnt have that sudden injury in Eng series. Odis are now shrinking format there will be fewer Odi series and fewer odis.

 

Boards and broadcaster is now asking for more t20is. So a tour will now have a 5 game t20i series and 3 game Odi series unless its a Odi wc year.

Commercially, ODIs are more viable than most Test cricket. 

[ShoonyaSifar]

That should end all speculations on why he's not getting picked in tests. Despite a stellar ODI record, as a specialist batsman (unlike Pandya), this also diminishes his certainty for LOIs and surely is the end of any discussion about him being made a captain in LOIs. 

[Lone Wolf]

Should be restricted to ODI format only then.

[pkmmamks]

There and there abouts cricketer in the end. Would have loved to see him succeed in all formats. 

[putrevus]

This should end Iyer's prospects of becoming captain in whiteball format.

 

In world cup he was mostly  given platform to score runs with least pressure, one match where neither Rohit and Kohli were there to see the team thru he got out for duck.

 

To his credit he did well in a group  match against NZ in CT where he had to do bulk work.Still he left so many matches unfinished there also.

 

Number 4 cannot be complimentary batsman on his best day.

 

If he has back issues, shouldn't physios be giving reports to BCCI and rehabbing his back in NCA.

[tapandrun]

4 hours ago, Nikhil_cric said:

Commercially, ODIs are more viable than most Test cricket. 

Yes but ICC more so Ind, Eng and Aus want to keep tests alive plus the ICC test championships. Every team has to play what 6 test series every cycle so they can not say no to test series but you can see team like Pak, WI has already given up on tests log time back.

 

ICC want to keep the tests alive for purist because a batter or a bowler can only be regarded as great if they have a good test record. 

[cowboysfan]

always something with this guy,he should just say i don't want to play Tests anymore.

[bowl_out]

Playing 3 formats + captaining IPL is always going to be challenging.

 

He is our MVP in the middle order in ODIs. He should focus on white ball cricket alone. 

[Lord]

People seriously bashing a guy for quitting a format he wasn't selected in anyway to focus where he's good?

[figo6762]

My dog ate my homework