New Delhi: India A captain Shreyas Iyer withdrew from the second First-Class match against Australia A just hours before the game, prompting the team management to appoint Dhruv Jurel as the stand-in captain. While neither Iyer nor the management has officially disclosed the reason for his sudden exit, reports suggest it is due to personal reasons.
A source told Times of India, “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 contention for a middle-order spot when the selectors meet to pick the squad for the West Indies series.”
Iyer had participated in the first India A match against Australia A, scoring 8 and 13 runs, and was also involved in a controversial umpiring decision against spinner Corey Rocchiccioli. Despite his modest performance, India A put up a strong fight, scoring 531 runs in response to Australia’s 532.
The batter has not been part of the Indian squad on the recent England tour nor was he included in India’s T20I Asia Cup 2025 team. While Iyer has been a key player in India’s ODI setup contributing significantly to the Champions Trophy win last year he continues to strive for consistency and selection in the Test and T20 formats.
India’s next red-ball assignment is scheduled against the West Indies starting October 2, with the squad expected to be announced in the coming days.
