Dilip Vengsarkar expressed his puzzlement over Shreyas Iyer’s decision to be unavailable for red-ball cricket while continuing to play white-ball formats.
Dilip Vengsarkar Questions Shreyas Iyer’s White-Ball Focus
1983 World Cup-winning star Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed confusion over Shreyas Iyer’s decision to step away from red-ball cricket while continuing to play white-ball formats. Iyer, recently appointed captain of the India A team for a two-match red-ball series against Australia A, withdrew after the first unofficial Test due to recurring back issues. Despite not playing a Test since last year, he remains an integral part of India’s ODI setup and was recently named vice-captain for the Australia ODIs.
Vengsarkar questioned the logic of Iyer being fit for white-ball cricket but unavailable for red-ball cricket. “To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for 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,” the 69-year-old told midday.
Iyer, 30, has played 14 Tests, scoring 811 runs at an average of 36.86. Once considered a potential long-term replacement for Ajinkya Rahane in India’s red-ball setup, Iyer struggled with consistency and last appeared in a Test against England in February 2024.
Shreyas Iyer takes a six-month break from red-ball cricket
The BCCI issued a statement clarifying that Shreyas Iyer has opted for a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back spasms and stiffness, a condition for which he previously underwent surgery in the UK.
“Mr Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format. He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup,” the BCCI press release stated.
