IND A vs AUS A, 3rd match: Shreyas Iyer readies for Australia ODIs with match-winning 62 in chase

Indian ODI team’s new vice-captain Shreyas Iyer readies for the forthcoming Australia One-Dayers with a match-winning 62 against Australia A in the third and final unofficial one-day game in Kanpur on Sunday (Oct 5). Chasing a mammoth 318, Iyer played a handy role in helping India A clinch a two-wicket victory and a clean sweep over the visitors. Alongside him, all-rounder Riyan Parag also scored as many runs, while the highlight of the evening was opener Prabhsimran Singh’s brilliant 102 off 68 balls. His blistering knock included seven maximums and eight fours.

In a stadium filled with over 24,000 fans, Australia A captain Jack Edwards won the toss and elected to bat first. Following a shallow start, with four wickets falling inside eight overs, all-rounder Cooper Connolly saved AUS A’s grace with a fighting 64 off 49 balls, hitting four sixes and five fours. Although two more wickets inside the middle overs broke their momentum, a 152-run stand for the seventh wicket between Liam Scott and Edwards helped them reach the 300-mark, with the side eventually getting wrapped up on 317.

In reply, the India A openers, Prabhsimran and Abhishek Sharma, stitched 83 runs for the first wicket before Todd Murphy removed Abhishek on 22. His fellow Asia Cup winner, Tilak Varma, departed soon after, only for Iyer to enter the scene and make this run chase about himself.

Even though Prabhsimran got out shortly after completing his quickfire hundred, Iyer and Parag ensured India A sit comfortably in the run chase.
While Parag scored at a better strike rate, Iyer’s composure helped build this stand. His dismissal, however, saw a few more wickets falling afterwards, but the hosts crossed the winning line with four overs and two wickets remaining.

Iyer back in ODI fray

Shreyas Iyer returned to the Indian Team for the first time since the 2025 Champions Trophy in February and March this year. Having finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter, Iyer failed to find a place in India’s T20 squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. Although there was a social media backlash over his selection, the selectors compensated for his absence by announcing him as Shubman Gill’s deputy in the One-Dayers.

Gill, on the other hand, has also replaced Rohit Sharma as the new ODI captain, leading a potent squad Down Under in three ODIs, starting October 19 in Perth.