Shreyas Iyer was widely expected to find a place in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025. However, the selectors’ decision to leave him out has raised eyebrows, with former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin openly expressing his surprise. Ashwin questioned the call, stating that Iyer has done nothing wrong to warrant exclusion.
The 15-member Indian squad for the tournament was unveiled on Tuesday (19th August) in Mumbai, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav addressing the press conference.
Among the biggest talking points from the announcement was Iyer’s omission. The right-hander had been expected to make the cut, given his consistency across formats.
Iyer, who topped India’s run charts in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, also enjoyed a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Leading Punjab Kings, he amassed 604 runs in 17 innings, finishing as his team’s highest scorer.
“Extremely Unfair” – Ravichandran Ashwin Slams Selectors Over Shreyas Iyer & Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Omission
Ravichandran Ashwin has openly criticized the selectors after Shreyas Iyer was left out of the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025. The veteran off-spinner expressed his disappointment, stressing that Iyer has done nothing wrong to deserve exclusion.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:
“Shreyas Iyer has strong credentials. He was out of the team but came back and helped India win the Champions Trophy. If the argument is that Shubman Gill is in great form, then Shreyas is also in terrific form. What has he done wrong? Who is going to answer that?
“He played brilliantly for KKR and led them to a title. Later, he guided Punjab to their first final since 2014. He worked hard on his short-ball weakness and was confidently taking on bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL. I feel extremely sad for him and for Yashasvi Jaiswal—it’s just unfair.”
Despite his performances, Iyer was not even named among the reserves. When chief selector Ajit Agarkar was questioned about it, he simply stated that there was “no space” for him in the squad.
