In the Asia Cup 2025, Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the captain of Team India, while Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility of vice-captaincy. However, the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from the squad has sparked strong criticism from several cricketing legends, including former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former cricketer and coach Abhishek Nayar, and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who openly questioned the selection committee’s decision.
Why was Shreyas Iyer sidelined? Srikkanth expresses anger
Former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth voiced his disappointment on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka. He said, “You are being biased against Shreyas Iyer. What mistake has he made? He performed brilliantly in the recently held Champions Trophy in the UAE. Why was his performance not considered?”
Srikkanth also criticised chief selector Ajit Agarkar, questioning the team’s balance:
“Where is the place for Shreyas Iyer? He fits perfectly at No. 5. Then you have Hardik Pandya at 6, Axar Patel at 7, and Jitesh Sharma at 8. The team balance is completely disturbed. Shubman Gill performed well in both the IPL and the Champions Trophy, so giving him a chance is understandable, but Shreyas’s omission is shocking.”
“I feel sad for Shreyas” – Ashwin
Star Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin also showed his support for Iyer on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat. He said, “Just look at Shreyas’s record. Even after being dropped earlier, he performed exceptionally well in the Champions Trophy and helped India lift the title.”
Ashwin further added, “What is Shreyas’s fault? Despite leading KKR to an IPL title, he was released and sent back into the auction. He even guided Punjab Kings to the finals after 11 years and improved his game tremendously. I genuinely feel very bad for him.”
“Why wasn’t Iyer even kept in reserves?” – Abhishek Nayar
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar was also surprised by Iyer’s exclusion. He said,
“Shreyas is such a strong contender. Why wasn’t he at least included in the reserves? I honestly cannot understand the logic behind not including him in a 20-member squad.”
Nayar added, “Every selection depends on preference. It seems the selectors preferred someone else over Shreyas Iyer, but leaving him out completely is beyond comprehension.”
Shreyas Iyer’s T20 and IPL records
While Shreyas Iyer has proven himself in ODIs, his T20I record has been average so far.
- T20 Internationals: 51 matches, 1,104 runs at an average of 30.66, including 8 half-centuries.
- IPL career: Since his debut in 2015, he has played 133 matches, scoring 3,731 runs at an average of 34.22.
However, his recent IPL season was outstanding. In 17 matches, he scored 604 runs at an impressive average of 50.33.
The Asia Cup 2025 will be played in the T20 format and will begin on 9th September in the UAE.
India’s Squad for Asia Cup 2025
Main Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Standby Players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal