The Indian selectors are rumoured to appoint Shreyas Iyer as ODI captain. The speculations come after Iyer was omitted from the Asia Cup 2025 squad, despite being in impressive form in the last two IPL seasons.
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After being Ignored from the Asia Cup Squad
Notably, Rohit Sharma is the current ODI captain, having last led the side to a title victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He will reportedly be asked to take a call on his 50-over career by the selectors. Meanwhile, Test skipper Shubman Gill has been promoted as a vice-captain in T20Is. The development hints at the selectors looking up to him as India next captain in the shortest format.
Is Rohit Sharma Nearing the End of His ODI Career?
Rohit Sharma retired from the T20I format in 2024 and bid farewell to the Test format as well. ‘Hitman’ was India’s captain in all formats after Virat Kohli’s tenure. Under his leadership, the Indian team reached the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the ODI World Cup final in 2023. He then captained the side to title victories in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Championship Trophy.
Related Article：Rohit Sharma’s Test Career：Full Statistics and Captaincy Record
Countless memories, magnificent moments.
Thank you, Captain 🫡🫡#RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/l6cudgyaZC
— BCCI (@BCCI) May 7, 2025
Rohit is one of the greatest ODI cricketers to emerge from India, with 11,168 runs in 273 games and 32 centuries. He has gone past the 200+ run mark on three occasions, while registering the highest individual score of 264. However, the selectors are now building the team for the 2027 ODI World Cup. By the time the tournament kicks off, Rohit Sharma will be 40+, and there might be some fitness issues. Hence, the selectors are expected to have a detailed talk with him regarding his future in the ODI format.
🚨 ROHIT SHARMA IS COMING BACK 🚨
– Rohit Sharma is set to play for India A in the unofficial ODI series against Australia A. [Shamik Chakrabarty from RevSportz] pic.twitter.com/AlazUlA34o
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 21, 2025
India’s next ODI series takes place in October against Australia and will certainly be a step towards finding the best set of players for the ICC event. If Rohit intends to participate and the selectors are looking to keep him in the roster, he might be included in the squad for a longer run. However, with reports of Shreyas Iyer as ODI captain, it might signal Rohit Sharma’s end to his 50-over career.
Why Gill Not Considered India’s Captain in All Formats?
Shubman Gill is expected to succeed Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain. He is likely to assume leadership of the Men in Blue after the completion of the 2026 T20 World Cup if the selectors move away from Suryakumar. The star batter is now projected to lead the Indian team in the 2028 Olympics. However, the major question arises of why Shubman Gill is not considered for being India’s captain in all formats.
🚨 CAPTAIN SHREYAS & CAPTAIN GILL IN WHITE-BALL CRICKET 🚨 [Abhishek Tripathi]
– BCCI is Considering Shreyas as ODI Captain after Rohit & Gill as T20I Captain after Surya. 🔥🎯 pic.twitter.com/5FavShnrLy
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 21, 2025
Gill recently led the national team in the five-match Test series against England. Apart from his impressive batting performance, the 25-year-old looked confident with his ability to make strong decisions in favour of the team. The two-year stint as Gujarat Titans skipper in the IPL has also helped Gill grow in stature as a leader. Moreover, Shubman Gill served as India’s vice-captain in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Despite Gill having credentials to become the captain in all formats, he will need to maintain his 100% fitness.
🚨 TEAM INDIA UPDATES 🚨 [Abhishek Tripathi]
– BCCI considering Shreyas as ODI Captain after Rohit
– Gill will become T20 Captain after Surya
– BCCI is looking forward with 2 Captains in three formats
– Management feels Gill & Shreyas have the ability to lead for a long time
-… pic.twitter.com/fI65AKyq8y— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 21, 2025
The Indian Test team will play a two-match Test series against West Indies at home from October 2 to 14. Then, the Men in Blue are scheduled to begin their white-ball tour in Australia on October 18. The three-day gap will be a quick turnaround for not only a player but also as a captain, who will need to be fresh with his ideas on different surfaces. The infusion of Shreyas Iyer into the ODI captaincy setup might work well in helping Gill manage his workload and give 100% for the side.
Is Shubman Gill as T20I Skipper & Shreyas Iyer as ODI Captain Suit India?
With Shubman Gill serving as India’s Test skipper, he might be suited relatively more as an ODI skipper as compared to the T20 setup. The plans need to be mapped for a longer time frame in Tests and ODIs, which might suit Shubman Gill’s thinking pattern.
Say Hello to #TeamIndia‘s newest Test Captain 👋@ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/OkBmNZT5M0
— BCCI (@BCCI) May 24, 2025
However, with Shubman Gill likely becoming India next captain in the T20Is, it will be difficult for him to strike a balance with the Test and the shortest format. The natural progression would be for him to be taking over ODI captaincy, but the reports hint at the selectors going in a different direction.
Now, let’s discuss whether choosing Shreyas Iyer as ODI captain might help the Indian team maintain dominance in the format. Iyer grabbed attention in the 2023 World Cup by scoring 530 runs in 11 games at an average of 66.25. He was the finest batter for the Men in Blue in the Champions Trophy, scoring 243 runs in five innings.
Shreyas Iyer isn’t just playing the game, he’s owning it! 👑 pic.twitter.com/GlkkZZmFlp
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) May 3, 2025
With the right mix of caution and aggression, Iyer looked like a complete batter in the Champions Trophy. With his leadership success in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, he was already projected to be India next captain. Hence, Shreyas Iyer is certainly the right candidate as India’s leader in the 50-over format, given his performances in recent years. It will be interesting to see if he is indeed announced as an ODI captain and attains success.
