Shreyas Iyer has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week -- first snubbed from India's Asia Cup squad, and now linked with unconfirmed reports of succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain, a claim BCCI has swiftly dismissed.
On Thursday, multiple reports suggested that Iyer, who was surprisingly omitted from the Asia Cup 2025 squad, had emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Rohit in the 50 over format.
However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia made it clear that such discussions have not taken place. Speaking to the Hindustan Times newspaper, he said, 'That's news to me. There have been no such discussions.'
Iyer's absence from the Asia Cup team has already raised eyebrows. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the decision on Tuesday, explaining, 'With regards to Shreyas, it's not his fault, nor is it ours. It's just that you can pick 15, and at the moment you'll have to wait for his chance.'
Despite the omission, Iyer's recent numbers across formats make a strong case for him. The 30-year-old batter scored 604 runs in 17 IPL 2025 innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
He struck six fifties and led Punjab Kings to their first final since 2014, where PBKS narrowly lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.
Earlier this year, he was also India's top scorer in the Champions Trophy triumph, finishing with 243 runs in five innings at 48.60, including two half-centuries.
For now, the BCCI has poured cold water on talk of an imminent captaincy change. But with Iyer's form and numbers stacking up, the conversation around his leadership potential is unlikely to fade anytime soon.