"Seriously???" - Fans react sarcastically as Shreyas Iyer named vice-captain for IND vs AUS ODIs

Shreyas Iyer was appointed vice-captain as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member India squad for the three-match ODI series in Australia on Saturday, October 4. The move came as Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as the new skipper of the 50-over side for the Men in Blue.

Iyer has been rewarded for his excellent leadership role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Mumbai-born player led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL 2024 glory and then guided the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the IPL 2025 final. The 30-year-old has won 48 out of 87 matches as skipper in the T20 league.

BCCI

@BCCI

🚨 India’s squad for Tour of Australia announced Shubman Gill named #TeamIndia Captain for ODIs The #AUSvIND bilateral series comprises three ODIs and five T20Is against Australia in October-November

Fans on X expressed their surprise as Gill was picked as the regular skipper ahead of Iyer in ODIs. One user wrote:

"Choosing Shubman Gill over Shreyas Iyer as captain. Seriously???"

Another user commented:

"The only satisfying thing from this squad announcement is Shreyas Iyer made Vice captain of ODI side."

A third user added:

"#ShubmanGill is 26 now and is the captain. #Shreyas is 30 and Vice Captain. Iyer is a great leader we all know and better then Gill in leadership. After 10 years Shreyas will retire as a normal player or Vc, but Gill remains the Captain.

Here are a few more reactions:

Wasim Champarni 💗

@Wasim_Shaikh99

Shreyas Iyer should have been made the captain in the ODI format, but never mind — he still became the vice-captain. #Bcci #AustraliaTour #Odi #Shareyas

Jitendra Kumar

@jitenda60203698

Shreyas Iyer's appointment as India's vice captain in ODI cricket marks a thrilling new chapter in his career and a promising future for Indian cricket. 🏏🇮🇳💥🎉👏 #shreyasiyer #AUSvsIND #odiseries2025 #ShubmanGill #BigUpdate #cricket #TeamIndia 🎉👏

Divyanshu Dev

@i_dev09

Big shoutout to Shreyas Iyer — our new ODI Vice-Captain! 💥 From stellar performances to inspiring leadership, you’re ready to take Indian cricket forward 🇮🇳💪 #ShreyasIyer #TeamIndia #ViceCaptain

---

Shreyas Iyer was the leading run-scorer for champions India in the 2025 Champions Trophy

Shreyas Iyer emerged as the leading run-scorer as Team India won the 2025 Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma's captaincy earlier this year. The right-handed batter amassed 243 runs in five innings at an average of 48.60 with the help of two half-centuries. He was equally brilliant for the Men in Blue in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 530 runs in 11 innings at an average of 66.25, comprising two tons and three half-centuries.

Overall, Iyer has scored 2845 runs in 70 ODIs at an average of 48.22, including five centuries and 22 fifties. The middle-order batter will next be seen in action against Australia in the first of the three-match ODI series in Perth on October 19.