BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addresses speculation on Shreyas Iyer replacing Rohit Sharma as ODI captain for 2027 World Cup

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faced a lot of criticism for middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer's snub from India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025, which will start from September 9. India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, alongside chief selector Ajit Agarkar, announced India's squad for the mega event, followed by a press conference.

After Rohit Sharma's retirement from Tests and T20Is, the BCCI announced Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav respectively as his sucessor to lead India in the particular format as Team India are currently in a period of transition with a new coach and a team with a lot of changes in the last 12 months, as many of its veterans announced retirement and made space for fresh blood.

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Indian veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently gearing up for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, which is set to begin on October 19. Ahead of the ODI series, there are rumours that Shreyas Iyer is leading the race to become India's next ODI captain, and the BCCI's decision on India's ODI team could come as soon as after the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played from September 9-28 in the UAE. Rohit and Virat Kohli will be allowed to decide on their ODI future. The selectors also want to free Rohit from the captaincy burden.

However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia denied all claims of discussions to replace Rohit having taken place. In an exclusive comment to Hindustan Times, Saikia stated: “That’s news to me. There have been no such discussions.”

The upcoming three-match ODI series between India and Australia will be the first international outing for Rohit and Virat since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where unbeaten India defeated New Zealand in the final to win the title at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Iyer was also a part of the Rohit Sharma-led side and ended his campaign as India's highest run-getter in the tournament.

Iyer continued his purple patch in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he amassed 604 runs in 17 matches and guided his franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS), in the final, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated them to win their first title.