Former chairman of the men’s selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar has said that he could not understand how batter Shreyas Iyer could commit his availability to play white-ball cricket when he had asked for a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Vengsarkar said that he could not understand how players choose between playing red-ball and white-ball cricket, admitting he didn’t fully know the difference between the two. Iyer was appointed India’s new ODI vice-captain on Saturday, after Shubman Gill was elevated to the captaincy, replacing Rohit Sharma in the role. “To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he [Iyer] says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for the white-ball cricket. I don’t understand the difference between red-ball cricket and the 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 was granted a six-month break from red-ball cricket after he communicated to the BCCI about experiencing recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing red-ball cricket. The 30-year-old had captained India A in the first of two multi-day matches against Australia A in Lucknow before missing the second match. As a result of his request getting approved, he found himself out of contention for a spot in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup match against Vidarbha at Nagpur. "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 said while announcing the India A squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia A. Iyer last played a Test match for India against England at Visakhapatnam in February 2024.
