Explained: Why Shreyas Iyer is not part of India A squad for unofficial ODIs against Australia A

The first unofficial Test match of the two-match series between India A and Australia A is scheduled for September 16–19. Lucknow will be the site of the match. From September 23 to 26, the second unofficial Test will take place at the same location. The two teams will face off in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at Kanpur on September 30, October 3, and October 5 after the unofficial Test matches. In the unofficial Test series, India A will be captained by Shreyas Iyer.

The swashbuckling cricketer was recently snubbed from the Indian team and could not find a place in the squad for the Asia Cup, which must have come hard on him. Now, a similar situation has arisen, as he has not been included in the India A team, which is scheduled to play three unofficial ODIs against Australia A after the two unofficial tests.

This comes as a huge surprise once again, as Iyer has been in a red-hot form, especially in this format, after putting up great shows with the bat in the 2023 World Cup as well as the 2025 Champions Trophy. So, not selecting him in the squad did not make sense, until it actually did.

Team India is slated to play against the West Indies in two home Tests at the same time as India A plays against Australia A in the ODIs. So, this has actually been taken as a sign that Iyer has been under consideration for a few vacant spots in the Indian Test team. 

A good performance in these unofficial tests can catapult him directly into the game against the West Indies in the upcoming series. Hence, this decision of not including in the squad for the unofficial One Day Internationals against Australia A might actually turn out to be a boon for him as well as the Indian team.

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