New Delhi: Seasoned batter Shreyas Iyer was shockingly left out of India’s squad for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2025. Iyer’s omission from the players’ list
shortlisted for the continental event raised questions about the Indian cricket boards criteria for the selection process. Iyer was expected to be part of the squad after a fabulous run in the IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings as a skipper and batter.
While much was said about the star player’s omission from the Asia Cup squad by various critics, Iyer himself chose to keep quiet all this time. On Sunday finally, the right-handed batter opened up on his axing from the Asia Cup.
Speaking on a podcast on IQOO India’s Youtube Channel, Iyer said that it is frustrating to get sidelined from a big event at times but one also has to support some other player who’s doing well and contributing for the team. The Indian batter further spoke on how his thought process is whenever he is not selected for a particular tournament.
Support a player who’s performing well: Iyer
‘It is only frustrating when you know that you deserve to be in the team, in the playing XI. At that time, it is frustrating. But at the same time, when you know that someone is performing and playing consistently for the team and bringing their best, you support them. And eventually, the goal is for the team to win. When the team is winning, everyone is happy.’
‘But as I keep talking about integrity, even if you don’t get a chance, you have to make sure that you do your work ethically. It’s not like you do it only when someone is watching. Even when no one is watching, you have to keep doing your work,’ he added.
After scoring over 600 runs in IPL 2025, Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-scorer in the 18th edition of the league proving his mettle. Since India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, Iyer has scored close to 950 runs in 26 T20 matches. India begin their campaign on September 10 against hosts UAE.
