Shreyas Iyer was Thursday appointed India A captain for a three-match one-day series against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30, setting him up for a possible leadership role in the senior 50-over side but he will be away from red-ball cricket for the next six months.

Besides Iyer, 30, who recently informed the BCCI’s chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar that he cannot take the rigours of red-ball cricket owing to a stiff back, the other key players in the India A squad are Ravi Bishnoi, wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh, big-hitting all-rounder Riyan Parag and Ayush Badoni, among others.

Top-order batter Abhishek Sharma, who scored fine half-centuries against Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4s, middle-order batter Tilak Varma, pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh

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