Shreyas Iyer has decided to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back problems, it was confirmed by the BCCI on Thursday. He informed the BCCI about his decision after experiencing back spasms and stiffness having undergone recent surgery in the UK. However, he will lead the team in the three one-day matches for India A against Australia A with Rajat Patidar named skipper for Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup.As TOI reported, Iyer, who will turn 31 soon, spoke with chief selector Ajit Agarkar about his struggles with first-class cricket. “Iyer spoke to Agarkar and conveyed that it’s getting tougher for him to endure the rigours of first-class cricket. He is experiencing some discomfort in his back. That’s why he has pulled out of the India ‘A’ match,” a BCCI source revealed to TOI.The break will allow Iyer to focus on building his body strength and improving his fitness. His recent performances have been disappointing, with low scores in both the Duleep Trophy (25 and 12 runs) and India A matches (8 runs).The India A team will play three one-day matches against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30. Iyer will captain the side for these matches. The Irani Cup will be played in Nagpur from October 1, with Rajat Patidar leading the Rest of India squad against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha.India A squad for 1st one-day match: Shreyas Iyer (C), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet SinghIndia A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-day matches: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Verma (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep SinghRest of India squad (Irani Cup): Rajat Patidar (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Aryan Juyal (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Saransh Jain
