Shreyas Iyer’s omission was one of the biggest talking points when India’s 15-member T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced last month.
The contentious point was that Shreyas wasn’t even considered in the reserves for the continental showpiece, slated to be held in the UAE from September 9 to September 28.
The right-hander hasn’t been in the T20 scheme of things since the beginning of 2024. However, he had strengthened his selection claims through consistent performances in the IPL over the past two editions.
Iyer played a key role both as a batter and captain, leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title win in 2024, and guiding PBKS to the final of the IPL 2025 season.
Speaking at the India Today South Conclave, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on Monday (September 8) expressed surprise over Shreyas Iyer being left out of the Asia Cup standby list.
"Look, Shreyas has done everything a player can do, so let's put that aside. But if you look at the last 20 matches India have played under Gautam Gambhir, they’ve won 17. As a coach, he likely has players he trusts and who have delivered results, so making tough choices about leaving certain players out is understandable," Karthik said.
"After the squad was announced, they also named five standby players. Shreyas was not even included there, and that didn’t sit well with me. It basically signals that he’s not being considered for the near future, including the World Cup. India has a couple of bilateral series after the Asia Cup before the T20 World Cup, and I feel it’s very unfair that he wasn’t among the top five choices. He should have been part of the discussions leading up to the tournament, and I truly hope he makes it to the T20 World Cup because he deserves it,” he added.
Shreyas Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter in the IPL 2025 season, amassing 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at a strike rate of 175.07 with six fifties. Karthik believes it’s only a matter of time before the PBKS skipper returns to the T20I fold.
"When it comes to the ODI or Test team, if players have performed well in domestic cricket, it certainly makes for a discussion. Shreyas is one such player—he went back to domestic cricket, helped Mumbai win titles, returned as IPL captain, and performed phenomenally. It’s only a matter of time before performances like these earn a player a spot in the squad," Karthik remarked.
According to Karthik, a player of Iyer’s talent and versatility deserves to be considered not just for T20I tournaments but as a long-term asset across formats.
"It’s only a matter of time—performances like his make it hard to leave someone of his caliber out of the squad. I’m a big fan of Shreyas for the way he plays, his positive energy off the field, and the leadership he shows. I believe he would have taken risks for the team, even if it wasn’t easy to swallow. I genuinely hope he finds a place across all formats, not just T20s, very soon," Karthik stated.
While Shreyas Iyer’s absence from the Asia Cup squad may be a talking point, India’s preparations for their title defence are in full swing.
The Men in Blue will open their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by the marquee clash with Pakistan on September 14 and a group-stage fixture versus Oman on September 19. The playoffs begin on September 20.
India squad for Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Stand-bys: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal
