Iyer to lead India A vs Australia A ODIs; Patidar to captain Rest of India in Irani Cup
Iyer to lead India A vs Australia A ODIs; Patidar to captain Rest of India in Irani Cup
Shreyas Iyer will captain India A in a three-match one-day series against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30 to October 5, reshaping the original leadership plan that had Rajat Patidar starting as captain. Patidar has instead been named skipper of the Rest of India (ROI) side for the Irani Cup against Ranji champions Vidarbha in Nagpur from October 1.
Why the Change
Iyer is on an approved pause from red-ball cricket but remains available for white-ball duties, making him a natural fit to lead the 50-over India A group in a high-quality, three-game block. Patidar, fresh off lifting the Duleep Trophy as Central Zone captain, now takes on the five-day leadership role for ROI, a move that rewards form and red-ball focus.
Series Schedule
India A vs Australia A (ODIs): September 30, October 3, October 5 — Green Park, Kanpur
Irani Cup (Rest of India vs Vidarbha): October 1–5 — VCA Stadium, Nagpur
India A squads
Tilak Varma will be vice-captain for the second and third ODIs, joining after the Asia Cup. Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh also link up from game two. Priyansh Arya and Simarjeet Singh exit after the first ODI as planned.
India A — 1st ODI (Kanpur, Sept 30)
Role | Players |
|---|---|
Captain | Shreyas Iyer |
Wicket Keeper | Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek Porel |
Batter | Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya |
All Rounder | Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu |
Bowler | Ravi Bishnoi, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Simarjeet Singh |
India A — 2nd & 3rd ODIs (Kanpur, Oct 3 & 5)
Role | Players |
|---|---|
Captain | Shreyas Iyer |
Vice-Captain | Tilak Varma |
Wicket Keeper | Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek Porel |
Batter | Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge |
All Rounder | Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu |
Bowler | Ravi Bishnoi, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh |
Rest of India vs Vidarbha (Irani Cup) squads
Ruturaj Gaikwad returns from injury with a Duleep 184, Yash Dhull arrives on a Duleep hundred, and Akash Deep makes a competitive comeback after a strenuous England tour. ROI’s spin core is led by Saransh Jain (Duleep Player of the Series), alongside Kotian and Suthar; Vidarbha counter with a seasoned pace pack and dual keeper options.
Rest of India — squad (Oct 1–5, Nagpur)
Role | Players |
|---|---|
Captain | Rajat Patidar |
Vice-Captain | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
Wicket Keeper | Aryan Juyal, Ishan Kishan |
Batter | Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Rajat Patidar |
All Rounder | Tanush Kotian |
Bowler | Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj |
Vidarbha — squad (Irani Cup)
Role | Players |
|---|---|
Captain | Akshay Wadkar |
Vice-Captain | Yash Rathod |
Wicket Keeper | Akshay Wadkar, Shivam Deshmukh |
Batter | Yash Rathod, Atharva Taide, Aman Mokhade, Danish Malewar, Yash Kadam, Praful Hinge, Dhruv Shorey |
All Rounder | Harsh Dubey, Parth Rekhade |
Bowler | Yash Thakur, Nachiket Bhute, Darshan Nalkande, Aditya Thakare, Akshay Karnewar |
Key Players To Watch Out For
Middle-order minutes for Iyer and Tilak ahead of the domestic white-ball block.
New-ball auditions: Arshdeep’s left-arm angle and Harshit’s hit-the-deck pace alongside Yudhvir and Gurjapneet.
ROI’s control vs Vidarbha’s discipline: Gaikwad’s tempo, Patidar’s stability, Kishan’s counterpunch; Saransh–Kotian–Suthar vs a seam-heavy Vidarbha.