Former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed his surprise over Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as India’s ODI vice-captain for the upcoming tour of Australia, questioning the logic behind his selection despite opting out of red-ball cricket. Vengsarkar pointed out the contradiction in Iyer’s declaration of fitness for white-ball formats while citing back issues to skip red-ball matches.

Iyer had earlier written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), requesting a six-month break from red-ball cricket to manage recurring back spasms.

The BCCI clarified that the Mumbai batter faces discomfort while playing longer formats and aims to use the domestic season to focus on rehabilitation and fitness improvement. However, Dilip Vengsarkar found the distinction between the two formats hard to comprehend.

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“To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me because he says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket but fit for white-ball cricket,” Dilip Vengsarkar told Mid-Day. “I don’t understand the difference between red-ball and white-ball cricket. If you are fit to play one, you should be fit for the other too. Choosing between formats is beyond my comprehension,” he added.

Apart from Iyer’s appointment, the selectors’ other major decisions included Shubman Gill’s promotion to ODI captain and the retention of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad despite their long absence from competitive cricket.

“Gill is a very good all-format player,” Dilip Vengsarkar said. “When you pick a captain, you first pick the team and then the best available person to lead. I think Gill is the right choice to lead in ODIs and Tests because he’s equally capable in T20s as well.”

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Vengsarkar also voiced concern over the continued inclusion of Rohit and Kohli. “They’ve been great players over the years, but if you’re only playing one format, the selectors need to make a decision. It’s hard to judge their form and fitness after such a long layoff,” he remarked.

The ODI series against Australia begins on October 19, marking the start of India’s new leadership era under Gill.