BCCI Urged To Avoid Shreyas Iyer As T20I Captain: 'Wasn't Even On The Team'

Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised the decision to appoint Shreyas Iyer as India's T20I captain, calling it a "wrong move".

Shreyas Iyer's appointment as T20 captain questioned as he was not part of The T20 World Cup squad.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Shreyas Iyer's T20 captaincy appointment.
• Selection panel finalises Iyer's leadership for Ireland, England tours.
• Ashwin cited Iyer's T20 absence, advocating for leadership stability.
• Iyer boasts exemplary IPL captaincy and consistent domestic runs.

Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has publicly questioned the national selection committee regarding the impending appointment of Shreyas Iyer as the new shortest-format captain. The elite bowler expressed deep reservations about handing immediate leadership responsibilities to a returning middle-order batsman who has spent considerable time entirely outside the national Twenty20 configuration.

Selection Panel Finalising Appointments

The administrative panel led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar remains heavily poised to ratify the leadership transition during the ongoing weekend meeting. The formal announcement will establish a completely new leadership structure for upcoming overseas assignments.

The structural changes will see the Mumbai batsman officially take control of the national side for the consecutive bilateral tours of Ireland and England, replacing former incumbent captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Ashwin Questions Lack Of Continuity

However, the seasoned spin bowler remains completely unconvinced by the strategic logic behind the decision. He spoke openly about the critical need for long-term consistency within the national leadership framework.

The prominent cricketer heavily stressed that elevating an individual who did not feature in recent international tournament squads fundamentally undermines the squad building process and creates unnecessary dressing-room instability.

Ashwin Raises Some Logical Questions

The highly decorated spin bowler utilised his personal digital media platform to deliver his candid assessment of the rapidly developing leadership situation at the very top of Indian cricket.

“Someone who wasn't even on the team, how can he do the captaincy? I read somewhere that Shreyas Iyer will be the team's captain. I just want to ask how someone who wasn't even there in the T20 World Cup squad can make the captain now,” Ravichandran Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

Calling For Long Term Stability

The veteran spinner clarified that his opposition stems entirely from a desire for structural continuity rather than any personal animosity towards the prospective candidate, whom he holds in high regard.

“I have a lot of time for Shreyas. When he wasn't picked, we talked about it for a long time. But this is also wrong. He cannot be made the captain straightaway. But anyway, the bigger point is that there should be stability,” he added on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

Shreyas' Long Absence From T20 International Arena

Statistical records confirm that the aggressive right-handed batsman has not featured in an official international fixture for the national side since his last appearance back in December 2023.

Although he recently entered the senior squad during a bilateral series against New Zealand as an injury replacement for Tilak Varma, he ultimately remained on the bench throughout that entire assignment.

Sensational IPL Leadership Track Record

Conversely, the batsman boasts an exemplary captaincy record within domestic franchise cricket over successive seasons. He successfully guided multiple franchises to the final stages of the premier domestic tournament.

The batsman famously led Delhi Capitals to their maiden final in 2020 before securing the championship trophy with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 and reaching another final with Punjab Kings.

Productive Run Scoring Sequences 

Furthermore, his individual run-scoring contributions within the highly competitive domestic league have remained consistently elite. He amassed significant run totals over the course of the last two tournament editions.

The middle-order batsman hammered an impressive 604 runs during the 2025 domestic season before following up that performance with another substantial haul of 498 runs during the 2026 edition.