Divya Delhi: After missing the Asia Cup 2025, Shreyas Iyer is captain of India A, who will play Australia A in a high-stakes red-ball and white-ball series at home. Iyer may have been criticized for his Asia Cup T20 absence, but he now has a chance to establish himself and show the selectors what they missed. Iyer's return to India comes next week when the Aussies play two four-day games and three white-ball matches. Setting up is about leadership, not just participation. Even after his Asia Cup snub, the Mumbai-born batsman has been selected captain, showing the management's long-term faith in him. Another Indian cricket emerging star, Dhruv Jurel, is his vice-captain and wicketkeeper. Two red-ball matches in Lucknow (September 16–19 and 23–26) are followed by three white-ball matches in Kanpur on September 30, October 3, and October 5. In the Duleep Trophy, Iyer has had a modest performance for West Zone. He scored 25 runs in the first innings before Khaleel Ahmed bowled him. Given his great IPL form earlier this year and experience, selectors are unlikely to weigh the brief innings highly. With the Asia Cup 2025 commencing in the UAE on September 9, Iyer's exclusion from the T20 squad was a huge talking point, especially because he was one of the IPL's top batters and appeared fit and in rhythm. His selection in the red-ball setup implies the selectors still consider him important, either for the October home Test series against West Indies or the white-ball trip of Australia later this year. India A has a good blend of experienced and young players. With Iyer and Jurel, the squad features the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, N Jagadeesan, and explosive Devdutt Padikkal.