Shreyas Iyer has pulled out of the India A squad before the second Test against Australia A. Dhruv Jurel will take over as captain.
India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has withdrawn from the India A squad hours before the second four-day unofficial Test against Australia A, which begins on Tuesday in Lucknow. The exact reason for Shreas Iyer’s sudden decision to leave Lucknow and return to Mumbai was unknown but it is believed that he cited personal reasons to the BCCI.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who served as Iyer’s deputy in the first match, is set to take over the captaincy in his absence. No replacement was named for Iyer in the India A squad.
“Yes, Shreyas is taking a break and has returned to Mumbai. He has informed the selectors that he won’t be able to play in the second four-day match against Australia A. However, he remains in fray for a spot in the middle-order when the selectors meet to pick the squad for the West Indies series,” a source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Iyer’s brief stint with the bat in the first unofficial Test saw him score just 8 runs off 13 balls before falling lbw to Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli — a decision that many at the venue believed was a poor one, with the ball appearing to drift past leg stump.
The 30-year-old had also registered modest scores of 25 and 12 for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone earlier this month in Bengaluru. Despite these recent performances, Iyer remains in contention for a middle-order role in India’s upcoming two-Test home series against the West Indies, which starts October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Iyer had been a standout performer during India’s victorious ODI Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, finishing as the team’s highest run-scorer with 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60. However, he was left out of the squad for the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai.
In another change to the India A lineup, pacer Mohammed Siraj will replace Khaleel Ahmed for the second match. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy remains unavailable due to a lingering knee injury and is unlikely to be part of the playing XI for the second match as well.
India A and Australia A played out a high-scoring draw in the first four-day match, with both teams declaring after crossing the 530-run mark. The second and final match of the series will be crucial for several fringe players aiming to break into the senior Test squad.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
