Shreyas Iyer Emerges as Frontrunner to Replace Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI Captain: Sources

August 21, 2025 MTIMES 105 Views BCCI news, Cricket, India Cricket Team, India ODI captain, IPL 2025, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli ODI retirement 3 min read

Indian cricket star Shreyas Iyer has reportedly become the leading contender to succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain in the near future. Despite being left out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad announced on Tuesday, the Mumbai batter is being viewed by the BCCI as the ideal choice to take charge once Rohit steps away from the 50-over format.

Shreyas Iyer to Replace Rohit Sharma as ODI Captain?

According to a report by Dainik Jagaran, the BCCI is considering Shreyas Iyer for the ODI captaincy role after Rohit Sharma decides on his future. Currently, Rohit only plays ODIs, having retired from T20 internationals after the 2024 World Cup and from Test cricket in May 2025.

A source revealed that stakeholders recently held meetings to discuss India’s leadership plans across formats. The official also clarified that Shubman Gill’s appointment as Test captain and T20 vice-captain was based on workload management, with Gill expected to eventually lead the T20 side.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Nearing Final ODI Series

Reports earlier suggested that the ODI series against Australia in October 2025 might be the last for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, the decision on whether Iyer will lead the team in that series will only be finalized after the Asia Cup. The timeline for Iyer’s appointment as captain is directly tied to Rohit’s decision on his ODI career. With the next ODI World Cup scheduled for 2027, it is unlikely that Rohit will continue as captain until then.

Shreyas Iyer’s Captaincy Record in Domestic Cricket and IPL

While Shreyas Iyer has yet to captain India in ODIs or T20Is, he has proven leadership credentials in domestic cricket and the IPL. He led Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25, scoring 325 runs in five matches. Under his captaincy, Mumbai also clinched the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.

In the IPL 2025 season, Iyer captained Punjab Kings to the top of the points table with nine wins out of 14 matches, strengthening his reputation as a strong leader.

The BCCI’s plan indicates a split-captaincy model to manage player workloads across formats. With Gill tipped to lead in Tests and T20Is in the future, and Iyer being groomed for ODIs, India’s leadership structure may soon enter a new era beyond Rohit Sharma.

(The content is sourced from agencies and has not been edited by mtimes.co.in.)

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