Former India captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar was left surprised by Shreyas Iyer’s selection as the men’s ODI team’s vice-captain for the upcoming tour of Australia. Vengsaskar commented that he didn’t understand how Iyer, who took a break from red-ball cricket, could declare himself fit for the white-ball formats.

Iyer wrote to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), asking for permission to recuse himself from red-ball cricket for six months. The BCCI said Iyer faces back spasms when playing in the longest format and wants to use the time of domestic red-ball cricket to work on his fitness and progress his recovery from a long-standing back issue.

“To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he [Iyer] says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for the white-

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