NEW DELHI: The All India Selection Committee has officially set up a new leadership structure for the ODI format by designating Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain for the forthcoming tour of Australia. He will work with the newly appointed skipper, Shubman Gill. This deliberate decision is meant to make a new core leadership team while making the transition phase go well. Senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still in the playing XI throughout this time.
Why Shreyas Iyer Makes Sense as Vice- Captain Iyer’s selection makes a lot of sense because of his unique skills and proven leadership experience, which directly address important aspects of India’s ODI setup:
Middle-Order Authority: Iyer bats in the important pressure zone of ODI cricket (positions 3 to 5), when batters are needed to keep things from falling apart and speed up the end. His calm demeanor as a starter and authoritative strike-rotator make him the right person to fix India’s problem with middle-overs stalling.
Iyer has experience as a leader, so this isn’t new for him. He has effectively captained at both the IPL and domestic levels, showing that he has a natural talent for handling the complexities of white-ball leadership, like making appropriate bowling changes and leading a group of players with different levels of experience.
Support for the Skipper: Iyer will be a key on-field resource for Gill as vice-captain, helping him run the squad smoothly and deal with tough situations in important games.
The Tactical Edge for the Trip to Australia
The appointment gives a big tactical edge, especially for the tough tour of Australia, when quick decisions are very important.
Leading from the Front: Iyer’s talents as a batter will allow him to lead the team with the bat. Gill’s expertise leading teams will help him manage the team’s strategy on the field against tough opponents, bad weather, and big fields.
Experience in Crunch Games: Iyer’s most important asset is that he has taken three different IPL teams to the competition finals. Being able to perform and lead a team under constant pressure is a huge plus for the new leadership core.
Maturity for 2027: The selectors want the Gill-Iyer pair to be at their “mature best” by the time the World Cup 2027 comes around, thus they are making this partnership now.
A Clear Signal for the Way to 2027
The choice makes a clear leadership ladder: Gill is the captain, Iyer is the deputy, and the senior players are in charge.
Clarifying Roles: It makes it clear what everyone’s job is on the team at this time of change.
Meritocratic bar: It sets a high, merit-based bar for all middle-order contestants. They will now be judged by Iyer’s mix of form, fitness, and tactical worth.
Most importantly, having Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still on the team lets Iyer learn how to deal with the “big names,” match rhythms, and crisis spells while they are there. This makes the transition to the next generation of leadership much easier.