Shreyas Iyer takes six-month break due to back issues, to lead India A against Australia A in ODIs

BCCI confirms Shreyas Iyer’s decision to step back from first-class cricket for six months due to recurring back problems, focusing on fitness while captaining India A in upcoming one-day matches.

India batter Shreyas Iyer has announced a six-month break from red-ball cricket to manage recurring back problems, the BCCI confirmed on Thursday. Iyer, who recently underwent surgery in the UK, has been struggling with back spasms and stiffness, making it challenging to endure the rigours of first-class cricket.

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Iyer spoke with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, explaining his discomfort and decision to step back. The break will allow him to focus on building body strength and improving fitness, after a string of low scores in the Duleep Trophy (25 and 12) and recent India A matches (8).

Despite stepping away from the longer format, Iyer will captain India A in three one-day matches against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar will lead the Rest of India squad in the Irani Cup against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha in Nagpur, starting October 1.

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The development comes ahead of India A’s ODI series and the prestigious Irani Cup, highlighting careful workload management for senior players while maintaining leadership in limited-overs formats.

🚨 NEWS 🚨

India A and Rest of India squads announced.

Details 🔽https://t.co/dxKoR98VzX

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 25, 2025

The BCCI has also announced the squads for the following:

India A squad for 1st one-day match: Shreyas Iyer (C), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh

India A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-day matches: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Verma (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh

Rest of India squad (Irani Cup): Rajat Patidar (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Aryan Juyal (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Saransh Jain

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