Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar has questioned Shreyas Iyer’s decision to take a break from red-ball cricket. Iyer recently wrote to the BCCI to not consider him for selection for the West Indies series. The Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer said that his body is not ready to field on all five days of the Test match because of back trouble.
Iyer had also withdrawn from the second unofficial Test against Australia A at Lucknow. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named as the vice-captain for the ODIs against Australia but Vengsarkar said he fails to understand how the batter is fit to play white-ball formats but not red-ball cricket.
In a press release, the BCCI confirmed that Shreyas Iyer’s decision to take a break from red-ball cricket is to manage his fitness, with his back recently starting to trouble him again. However, he will be available for selection in white-ball cricket in domestic and international cricket. Iyer has been named India’s vice-captain for the three ODIs in Australia, starting on October 19.
Shreyas Iyer takes a six-month break from red-ball cricket
Meanwhile, the BCCI issued a statement saying that Iyer has taken a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back spasms and stiffness, a condition for which he has previously undergone surgery.
“Mr Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format.
He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup,” the BCCI press release said.
The 30-year-old has played 14 Tests, in which he scored 811 runs at an average of 36.86. He was once touted as the long-term replacement for Ajinkya Rahane in the red-ball set-up. However, he failed to show consistency and lost his place in the squad as he last played a Test match for India against England in February 2024.
Shreyas Iyer hasn’t been able to come up with consistent performances in the red-ball format in the recent past. The right-hander was not included in India’s Asia Cup squad despite consistently performing in IPL 2025, where he scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07.
After the snub,Shreyas Iyer could not get a big score in the Duleep Trophy match and also could not deliver while leading India A against Australia A in the first unofficial four-day Test in Lucknow. Shreyas Iyer returned with scores of 25 and 12 in the Duleep Trophy clash against Central Zone while playing for the West Zone.
Former India captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed confusion over Shreyas Iyer’s decision to declare himself unfit for red-ball cricket while continuing to play white-ball formats.
Dilip Vengsarkar slams Shreyas Iyer for prioritizing White ball cricket over Red ball cricket ahead of Australia series 2025
1983 World Cup-winning star Dilip Vengsarkar has raised questions over Shreyas Iyer’s decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket but make himself available for white-ball cricket.
Shreyas Iyer was recently appointed skipper of the India A team for a two-match red-ball series against Australia A, but he withdrew his name from the squad after the first unofficial Test due to recurring back issues. The stylish batter hasn’t played a Test for India since last year, but he still remains a crucial part of the ODI team and was recently named the new vice-captain for the Australia ODIs.
Shreyas Iyer, who has played 14 Tests since his debut in November 2021, has been granted a break from red-ball cricket by the Board of Control from Cricket in India (BCCI) after he put in a request. The request from the 30-year-old came before the second four-day fixture between India A and Australia A due to the right-handed batter experiencing a back issue.
Vengsarkar voiced his confusion over Iyer’s stance that he is unfit for red-ball cricket but available for white-ball formats. He argued that if a player is fit for white-ball cricket, he should logically be fit for red-ball as well, calling the distinction difficult to understand.Speaking to Mid-day, Vengsarkar said such decisions are beyond comprehension :
“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,” he said.
The Mumbai-born cricketer last played in Tests in early 2024 when England toured the sub-continent nation for a five-match series. He had played two matches in that series but registered a best of 35, propelling the selectors to drop him.
Although the star cricketer has struggled to make a mark in Test cricket, he is a mainstay for Team India in the 50-over format. After playing an instrumental role in their Champions Trophy victory earlier this year, the right-hander has been appointed as new captain Shubman Gill’s deputy for the upcoming Australia tour.
The other two key decisions for the series, which begins on October 19, were the promotion of Shubman Gill as the captain and the continuation of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma despite not playing any competitive cricket in months.
“Gill is a very good all-format player. Actually, when you pick a captain, you first pick the team and then you pick the best available guy to lead the side. And I think Gill is the best person to lead the side in ODIs and Test matches because he is also good in T20s,” Vengsarkar said.
He added, with concern,
“Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. I feel you cannot know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they have played. It’s very difficult to assess their form and fitness.”
Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as the ODI skipper, marking a major change in guard. Rohit and Virat Kohli are part of the ODI squad, as they seemingly hope to play in the 2027 World Cup. The ODIs against Australia begin on October 19 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Also Read: ENG vs IND : Shubman Gill Appointed Test Skipper For Red Ball