Iyer Enters the Race for India’s White-Ball Captaincy

Reports from Indian media suggest that Shreyas Iyer has emerged as a potential candidate to captain India’s ODI and T20I teams.

Despite not being selected for the upcoming Test series against England, Iyer is now officially in consideration for the leadership role in both One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.

The 30-year-old recently guided the Punjab Kings to their first Indian Premier League final in 11 years. During IPL 2025, he made a significant impression as a leader and batter, amassing 604 runs in 17 innings with an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.

His impressive performance extended to the international stage, where he played a vital part in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph. Iyer was the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, contributing to India’s first title win since 2013.

A senior BCCI official stated, “Currently, he participates in ODIs, but his IPL performance makes him undeniable for T20 Internationals and even Tests. Moreover, he is now a formal contender for the white-ball captaincy.”

With Rohit Sharma likely to retire following the 2027 World Cup, India has yet to appoint a long-term ODI captain. Iyer has exhibited leadership abilities across various formats, captaining 100 T20 matches with 61 wins and 37 losses, in addition to leading teams to 29 victories in 42 List A matches.

His international record includes 14 Tests, 70 ODIs, and 51 T20Is for India. His most recent Test appearance was in February 2024, and his last T20I was against Australia in December 2023. He is currently leading the Mumbai Falcons in the T20 Mumbai League 2025.

Iyer is anticipated to return to international play in August 2025 when India tours Bangladesh for a white-ball series consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is.