3 reasons why Shreyas Iyer succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain would be the wrong move

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer is reportedly viewed as the next ODI skipper, taking over from Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2027 World Cup. He was recently overlooked by the selectors for the 2025 Asia Cup squad, despite a stellar 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

A report from Dainik Jagran suggested that the team management are venturing away from the idea of an all-format captain due to workload concerns. Initially, it was considered that Shubman Gill would eventually take over all three formats, especially since his recent appointment as T20I vice-captain. With Rohit Sharma's ODI future uncertain, the management have viewed Shreyas Iyer as a potential successor for the leadership role.

On that note, let us take a look at the three reasons why Shreyas Iyer succeeding Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain would be the wrong move.

#1 Putting the additional responsibility of captaincy on Iyer just when he has settled into the team might be unfair to him

Shreyas Iyer has had to bide his time to become a routine figure in the Indian batting line-up. Competition for spots, form, and injuries, have all marked their presence, before he could cement down a spot in the middle order.

After recovering from a serious shoulder injury, Iyer had a statement 2022, where he played 17 out of the 24 ODIs India played, scoring 724 runs at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 91.53. Despite another setback in 2023, owing to the nagging back injury, Iyer continued the momentum in ODI cricket with a landmark year, which included a prolific ODI World Cup campaign.

The performances in those couple of years made Iyer's case as a long-term prospect in the team. Given the lack of ODI cricket in 2024 and the first half of 2025, things are quite stagnant in that regard. Taking that into account, Iyer, though perhaps at his peak, is still not someone who is completely indispensable as some of the others, per se.

Bear in mind that he was close to being dropped from the side during the home series against England, when Yashasvi Jaiswal made his debut. It was a last-minute niggle for Virat Kohli, and Iyer's brilliant display with the bat in Nagpur that gave him the extra rope.

In such a scenario, where he is still trying to silence his critics inside and outside the circle, thrusting the captaincy on him would be no less than a burden.

#2 The leadership may affect his run-scoring, and India should value Iyer-the batter, more

There is almost nothing to suggest that captaincy will affect Iyer's batting, especially when it comes to his averages while leading in the IPL as well as in the domestic circuit. So, while that should ideally not be a concern if Iyer takes over as ODI captain, it is in no way an assurance either.

The pressure of Indian captaincy has gotten to even the best of the best in the past, and though Iyer may be performing at his peak, he may not be spared from it.

The No.4 is among the most controversial spots in the Indian ODI team, and one of the most difficult to fill in recent times. The value of a stable and in-form No.4 was recently evident during the 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, and it will continue to be the case.

So to tamper with a well-settled player in that particular position in any way, let alone leadership responsibility, during transition might not be the best idea. In a nutshell, it is a well-avoidable gamble.

#3 Iyer has not been groomed for the leadership role in the national team

Usually, there is a pathway in the Indian cricketing structure when it comes to leadership. Players are usually groomed to take on leadership responsibilities gradually by being in the inner circle, gaining experience, and assisting the leader. In select cases, the protocol is bypassed as the player's seniority is often evidence.

However, in Iyer's case, he is neither here nor there as far as the aforementioned scenarios are concerned. Yes, his leadership ability is often noted and appreciated, but he has never been a serious contender for the role. It is largely because he has never been a certified member of the team until now. As a result, he has never been in the leadership core, nor has he been named vice-captain in any of the ODI assignments.

As far as seniority is concerned, it is a gray and subjective area. One might suggest that playing 70 ODIs in eight years is enough experience and consistency to take over as full-time captain of the Indian team, but others might not be of the same opinion.

The closest he has come to a leadership role in Indian cricket was when he was named vice-captain during the latter half of the T20I home series against Australia after the 2023 ODI World Cup. It was a one-off outing in the absence of the seniors, and he has not played T20I cricket ever since. In a nutshell, it did not lead to something else, as deputy roles usually do.