Follow UsFormer India captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed confusion over Shreyas Iyer’s decision to declare himself unfit for red-ball cricket while continuing to play white-ball formats.
In a press release, the BCCI confirmed that Iyer’s decision to take a break from red-ball cricket is to manage his fitness, with his back recently starting to trouble him again. However, he will be available for selection in white-ball cricket in domestic and international cricket. Iyer has been named India’s vice-captain for the three ODIs in Australia, starting on October 19.
“To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for the white-ball cricket. I don’t understand the difference between red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket. I feel that if you are fit for white-ball cricket, you are obviously fit for red-ball cricket too. Choosing red-ball or white-ball and such things are beyond my comprehension," Vengsarkar told Mid-day.
While Iyer has been appointed vice-captain, Shubman Gill has taken over as India’s new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli have been included in India’s ODI squad for the Australia series, but Vengsarkar expressed doubts about their continued involvement, given that they are now active only in ODIs. Neither Kohli nor Rohit has played competitive cricket since IPL 2025, with their last international outing during the Champions Trophy in February-March.
“Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. I feel you cannot know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they have played. It’s very difficult to assess their form and fitness,” said Vengsarkar.
“Rohit and Virat have possibly been picked because of their great records. They have been great players and have done yeomen service to Indian cricket, having won many matches in all formats of the game. But since they have not been playing Test match cricket as well as T20s, and are playing only one format, one-day matches, which is not very often played during the season, it’s very difficult to gauge their form and fitness. But since they have been picked, the selectors may have checked that, though I don’t know how.”
Vengsarkar also hinted that the team management should consider moving on from Kohli and Rohit to make way for players available across all formats. “It’s really up to the selectors whether they want to stick with Rohit and Virat or look ahead and give opportunities to those players who are available for all formats of the game. It depends on how they look at Indian cricket going ahead.”