Shreyas Iyer could be India's next ODI captain after Rohit Sharma; BCCI cancels Shubman Gill plans: Report

BCCI has scrapped plans to make Shubman Gill the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer emerging as the frontrunner to replace Rohit Sharma. But why and when the change could take place? Read details here.

Shreyas Iyer might have been snubbed from India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025, but some good news could be around the corner, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly looking at the 30-year-old Shreyas Iyer as India’s next ODI captain, who can replace the incumbent Rohit Sharma. While Shubman Gill is the new Test captain and the vice-captain in the T20Is, he may miss out on the leadership role in ODIs, as the BCCI is reportedly looking at Iyer for the captaincy position.

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Iyer could not find a place in the T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 despite leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, as the BCCI opted for a 15-member squad. However, he is already a part of the ODI side. In the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year, Iyer registered scores of 15, 56, 79, 45 and 48 runs in five matches as India won the ICC tournament, beating New Zealand in the final. Overall, the Mumbai batter has amassed 2845 runs in 70 ODIs at an average of 48.22. He also has five hundreds to his name.

BCCI wants Shreyas Iyer to succeed Rohit Sharma in ODIs

A report in Dainik Jagran says that unofficial discussions regarding the future of the Indian team in all three formats took place recently. These discussions led to Gill’s return to the T20I side and his elevation to the vice-captaincy, as current captain Suryakumar Yadav is already 34. In such a situation, Gill is being seen as the future T20I captain for India.

A similar call has to be taken in the ODI, as the current captain, Rohit Sharma, is already 38. Also, there are reports that the October ODI series against Australia could be his farewell tour. However, there’s no clarity on whether Iyer will captain the Indian ODI side in Australia.

A BCCI source has told Dainik Jagran that a meeting will be held after the Asia Cup to discuss the ODI matters and the future strategy will be communicated to both Rohit and Virat Kohli. The major decisions regarding the ODI team will depend on what Rohit and Kohli decide after their discussions with BCCI, but the cricket board and the team management are reportedly looking at Shreyas Iyer as the future captain, at least till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Why no ODI captaincy for Shubman Gill?

Gill has 2775 runs in 55 ODIs at an average of 59.04, but he may not get the ODI captaincy. The BCCI source told the Hindi newspaper that while the board was earlier hoping to have one captain across all three formats, this may not be possible due to the packed schedule.

Continuous international cricket may not allow an all-format captain to have the required mental and physical strength. Gill will be part of the Asia Cup 2025. After that, he will lead India in two Tests vs West Indies, then travel to Australia for five T20Is before a home series against South Africa. The South Africa tour of India would include two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. With so much international cricket upcoming, the BCCI doesn’t want to burn out Gill with ODI captaincy.

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