Shreyas Iyer was omitted from India's Asia Cup 2025 squad despite his excellent form, particularly in IPL 2025, where he scored 604 runs at an average
of 50.33 with a strike rate of 175 and led Punjab Kings to the final.
The selectors chose a middle-order combination including Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube alongside skipper Suryakumar Yadav, leaving no room for Iyer.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that Iyer's omission was not due to any fault of his or the selection panel. Rather, the committee picked a combination they felt was best suited for the tournament's demands and the limited 15-player squad size. Agarkar stated that Iyer will have to wait for his chance as it was about fitting the best team at that moment.
Iyer's absence sparked significant debate and outrage on social media, considering his recent performances in white-ball cricket and IPL dominance. He also missed out on the standby list of reserves for the Asia Cup. This decision was surprising to many, as he had been an important run-scorer for India in recent major tournaments as well.
And on the Jio Hotstar show, KKR coach Abhishek Nayar, who was part of India's coaching setup in the Champions Trophy, called for huge questions on the selection. He was awestruck by the omission of Iyer and couldn't fathom the reason behind the decision.
"I can't fathom or understand what reason could justify Shreyas Iyer not being part of the 20-member squad. I'm not even talking about the final 15, but the 20 itself, which sends a clear message that Shreyas Iyer is not in the selectors' scheme of things, at least from a T20 perspective," Nayar said.
He also predicted a very interesting next 12 months for Shubman Gill as the India batter was not just drafted into the T20 squad, but was made the deputy of Suryakumar Yadav.
"This squad announcement sort of tells you the mindset of the selectors. With selection of Shubman, in time, he is going to be an all-format captain, and that's where they are sort of positioning him. Great pick, terrific player. I'm sure he's going to follow the mindset of being attacking, having that approach. And I feel it's going to be a very, very interesting next 12 months in Shubman Gill's life," he added.
The Indian team is grouped with UAE, Pakistan and Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2025, which begins from September 9.
