Not Shubman Gill! Robin Uthappa officially announces next India captain
Published - 20 Feb 2025, 03:12 PM | Updated - 20 Feb 2025, 11:37 PM
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has named the next Indian captain who could replace current skipper Rohit Sharma. Uthappa backed Shreyas Iyer as the leading candidate to become Team India's next captain ahead of Shubman Gill, who is the vice-captain of the team across all three formats.
Iyer was once considered a potential successor to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the next captain of the Indian team. He was a regular across all formats but faced a setback after losing his central contract for the 2024-25 season due to his absence from the Ranji Trophy despite the board's directives.
Shreyas Iyer Enters the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Top Form
Shreyas Iyer enters the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in top form. The right-handed batter has delivered strong performances in the recent ODI series against England and domestic cricket. He was a last-minute inclusion for the series opener but rescued India from trouble with a crucial 36-ball 59 in Nagpur.
The Mumbai cricketer registered scores of 44 runs and 78 runs in the next two matches of the series, where the Rohit Sharma-led team completed a 3-0 whitewash against the Jos Buttler-led side. He (181 runs) finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the series, behind only Shubman Gill (259 runs).
Shreyas Iyer Is Going to Be the Next Indian Captain - Robin Uthappa
During the pre-match show ahead of the Champions Trophy clash between India and Bangladesh, Robin Uthappa backed Shreyas Iyer as the future captain of Team India. Speaking on Star Sports, Uthappa said that Iyer is the frontrunner to take over the leadership role.
"I think Shreyas Iyer is going to be the next Indian captain," Robin Uthappa said on Star Sports.
Robin Uthappa said "I think Shreyas Iyer is going to be the next Indian Captain". [Star Sports] pic.twitter.com/wKepoJLPXb
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 20, 2025
Shubman Gill got his first taste of captaincy on the global stage during IPL 2024, where he captained Gujarat Titans. However, it was a challenging season as the team failed to reach the playoffs.
Later in the year, Gill led India in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, guiding the team to a commanding 4-1 series win. He was named the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team ahead of the home series against England.
Shreyas Iyer Showcased Impressive Form Across Formats in Domestic Cricket
India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed speculation regarding Iyer’s position in the team. He clarified that Iyer was never meant to be benched throughout the England series. Gambhir said that the decision to play Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first ODI was based on the youngster’s strong form in Australia.
Before the England series, Shreyas Iyer showcased impressive form in the latter stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He finished as Mumbai’s second-highest run-scorer, amassing 325 runs in five matches at an average of 325. He scored an unbeaten 114 against Madhya Pradesh and 137 not out against Puducherry.
Iyer also played a crucial role in Mumbai’s victorious campaign in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The middle-order batter led his state side in the final against Madhya Pradesh at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He contributed 16 runs off nine balls to help secure the title in the domestic T20 tournament.
