Shreyas Iyer has been excluded from the team announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the Asia Cup 2025. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and T-20 captain Suryakumar Yadav announced the team on Tuesday. Iyer was not included in the main squad of 15 or among the five reserve players.
Iyer recently performed excellently in the Champions Trophy. He also led Punjab Kings to the finals in IPL 2025. He scored 604 runs in 17 matches and maintained a strike rate of 175. Despite this performance, his exclusion has surprised fans.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar expressed dissatisfaction with this decision. He said, "It is surprising that Iyer is not given a place even in the 20-member team. This means the selection committee is not considering him for the current match. Often in the selection process, the question arises as to which player is preferred. Perhaps Iyer was not given that much priority."
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified, "Even though it is not Iyer's fault, he will have to wait due to limited spots." He further stated, "We can only select a squad of 15 members. There was competition between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek was included in the team because he offers a bowling option along with batting. Unfortunately, Yashasvi and Iyer will have to wait." This decision has raised questions about the selection process, and cricket fans are eager for Iyer's next opportunity.
Along with this, fans of Shreyas Iyer have criticized the BCCI and the selection process, commenting, "My problem is here... Shreyas Iyer is not even on the standby list.. You are not sending the right message to someone who has the potential to lead India. Shreyas Iyer deserves a place in the Asia Cup. No Sarpanch Saheb, no Asia Cup... BCCI has successfully wasted his best years. A conspiracy by BCCI against Shreyas Iyer, that's why he was not selected...."