Shreyas Iyer, a cricket player from Mumbai, has made headlines lately. Iyer was left off of the BCCI’s 20-man team (which includes five reserves) for the 2025 Asia Cup when they announced it on Tuesday, August 19. Considering the 30-year-old’s stellar recent performance, a number of experts have criticized the choice.
On the path to the 2027 ODI World Cup, Shreyas Iyer has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Rohit Sharma as ODI captain, according to a report published by Dainik Jagran on Thursday, August 21.
Shubman Gill was previously thought to be the all-format captain, but according to the report, selectors are now considering two captains across formats in order to better manage workload.
The decision Rohit Sharma makes about his international future will determine when Iyer is promoted. Since the 38-year-old has already withdrawn from Test and T20I matches, there has been conjecture on his future plans. Iyer might take over as captain beginning with the next Australia series if Rohit decides to resign; else, the leadership transition might be delayed.
These three arguments support the growing rumor that Shreyas Iyer will take Rohit Sharma’s place as India’s ODI captain.
1. Proven experience in leading teams and winning tournaments
Shreyas Iyer’s great IPL and domestic cricket career is one of the best arguments for giving him India’s ODI captaincy when Rohit Sharma retires. In 2018, when he succeeded current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir with the Delhi Capitals (DC), he had his first experience of leadership in the IPL.
Iyer guided Delhi to its first ever IPL final (2020), but lost it to Mumbai Indians (MI). And in the 2024 season, the 32 year old finally lifted the IPL trophy as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His success as a leader was subsequently in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where Mumbai won the competition under his leadership.
In IPL 2025, Iyer led Punjab kings (PBKS) to the finals, he showed again, why he is a potential leader as well as a player. Punjab kings however lost the final.
At just 30, he has led 87 games with 50 victories, ranking fifth in IPL history for most matches as captain. Entrusting Iyer with India’s ODI captaincy might be a very wise decision given his good leadership record and demonstrated ability to win titles.
2. India’s most reliable middle-order batter in ODIs in recent years
The fact that Shreyas Iyer has become one of India’s most dependable middle-order batsmen is another element in his favor. The Mumbai hitter has performed well when it has counted most, despite battling ailments and needing to compete for his job all the time.
Iyer was a key player in Men in Blue’s performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, as India advanced to the final before falling to Australia. Three fifties and two hundreds, including one in the semi-final match against New Zealand, were among his 530 runs at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24 in 11 innings.
He demonstrated his worth once more earlier this year when he won the 2025 Champions Trophy. With 243 runs in five innings at an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 79.41, including two fifties, Iyer played a key role in India’s championship effort.
Iyer has always been a player with potential so promoting him to skipper would allow him to perform freely without any pressure of a starting position in the team, something that could probably translate the further improvement of the player.
In 70 One-Day Internationals, he has scored 2,845 runs with an average of 48.22 and a strike rate of 100.00 and five centuries besides 22 fifties.
3. The right age and fitness to be a long-term captaincy option
Shreyas Iyer’s fitness and the long-term option he offers the selectors are two more important factors. Iyer is a dependable choice for years to come, whether for the 2027 ODI World Cup or perhaps the 2031 tournament, as he is only 30 years old and is undoubtedly one of the team’s healthiest players.
Another aspect that one can look at is that it is hard to have an all format captain of a single player and it may take India time to accept one player as an all format leader. One of the problems with having a single captain is the workload; captaining in all formats may not be sustainable due to the requirements to play in other concurrent forms of the game and enough time to lead the team, the schedules may not allow. The workload may make having two captains more sensible.
In this situation, Shreyas Iyer becomes the first and perfect choice at the ODI captaincy position. At present he is playing in ODIs but not in T20Is or Tests which gives him a chance to give his full attention to the captaincy role.
