However, the zonal selectors were more likely to give the captain’s hat to star batter Shreyas Iyer, hence the Thane-born player was never the top pick for the series. Star Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been selected captain of the West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy 2025, which is just a few days away. West Zone is the current zonal event runners-up.
Sanjay Patil, the head of the selection committee, reportedly offered Iyer the position of captain of the West Zone team in the top red-ball competition, but the star cricketer showed little interest in the offer. Following the Mumbai native’s denial, West Zone reached out to Shardul, identifying him as a possible leader, to which he enthusiastically accepted.
It’s accurate to say that Shreyas Iyer turned down the West Zone selection committee’s offer to lead the squad. The Mumbai Mirror newspaper cited a source as stating, “After that, committee chairman Sanjay Patil, who is also the chief selector for Mumbai, approached Thakur to lead the team, an opportunity Thakur gladly accepted.”
Shreyas Iyer was not selected for the Asia Cup.
For those who don’t know, the All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee passed up Shreyas Iyer for a spot in India’s 2025 Asia Cup roster. His rejection shocked the Indian cricket community because, after a spectacular run with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League, where he averaged over 50 runs per game and scored 604 runs in 17 games, his status was assured.
Despite his disappointment, the young right-handed batsman will be concentrating on playing First-Class cricket because he would be an important member of the middle-order for West Zone. Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan will shoulder the majority of the middle order load, while their top order features standout players like Harvik Desai, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
West Zone team
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Shardul Thakur, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale, Jaymeet Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harvik Desai, Aarya Desai, and Sarfaraz Khan
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