India, Aug. 24 -- Right-handed Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer was the first choice to lead the West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, beginning August 28. However, the 30-year-old turned down the request as he was expecting to be picked in the Asia Cup squad. According to a report in The Times of India, Shreyas turned down the offer made by West Zone selectors, and hence, they went ahead with Shardul Thakur as the skipper.

The 15-member Asia Cup squad was announced earlier this week. Shreyas Iyer failed to make the cut despite setting the stage on fire in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Punjab Kings, leading them to the final after 11 years and scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.

Shreyas Iyer wasn't even named in the five st...