Are these questions only coming from Twitter? The answer is loud and clear – No, it’s not just the fans pressurizing the board. Even senior players value Shreyas and have called out the management. Ravichandran Ashwin openly questioned the BCCI for not selecting Shreyas in the Asia Cup 2025 squad.
Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat,’ “Shreyas Iyer has solid credentials. He was out of the team, but he made you win the Champions Trophy. If you argue that Shubman Gill is in blasting form, then Shreyas is also in some fine form. Who will answer all these questions? What Shreyas has done wrong.”
He further added, “He did brilliantly well for KKR, making them win. He was sent into the auction. He then took Punjab to the finals for the first time since 2014. He overcame the short ball problem. He was hitting the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah with ease in the IPL. I am just extremely sad for him and Yashasvi Jaiswal; it is extremely unfair.”
The same issue was raised earlier during the England tour too. At that time, Ajit Agarkar had stated that “he is doing well in whites but he has no space for red-ball cricket.” And now, there seems to be no room for him in the T20 league either. That sounds hypocritical. In today’s press conference, Ajit Agarkar said, “With respect to Shreyas Iyer, who can he replace? It’s no fault of his and neither ours.” But the reality is, a player who has repeatedly proved himself in front of team management is still being ignored despite having a great international average and a solid track record.
Shreyas Iyer has already shown his worth. From topping the list of Champions Trophy 2025 run scorers while playing alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to becoming the backbone and run machine for India in World Cup 2023, he has delivered again and again. He even won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month after the Champions Trophy and consistently scored against big teams like New Zealand, Australia, and England.
Clearly, Shreyas Iyer is a strong candidate for the Asia Cup. He can easily slot into the team — if not the playing XI, then at least in the reserves. Not disrespecting any current player, but Shreyas brings immense ICC event experience — World Cup 2023, Asia Cup 2023, Champions Trophy 2025 — not just as a participant but as a top scorer for India.
Decoding Asia Cup Squad 2025
Now the bigger question: Is the BCCI not looking for an all-format team? Is management segregating all three formats just like they did with captaincy? Yes, they are. For the Asia Cup, Abhishek Sharma has been chosen, and as the ICC’s No.1 T20I batter, he deserves his place. Sanju Samson may also open – but can’t Shubman Gill open? Of course, he can. He started as an opener, and only because of the Rohit-Jaiswal opening duo has he been shifted to No. 3.
That’s where the debate begins. You could slot Shreyas at No. 3 for the T20 team, because that’s his natural fit. But currently, India’s No. 3 is Shubman Gill — who is not only leading the ICC Men’s batting rankings but is also in contention for all-format captaincy. At No. 4 sits Suryakumar Yadav (SKY), India’s Mr. 360. Realistically, the No. 3 & 4 slots are where Shreyas belongs, but you simply cannot drop the world’s No. 1 batter.
So yes, if the choice is between Gill and Iyer, it’s a tough one. But repeatedly sacking Shreyas feels unfair. Ajit Agarkar’s explanation may sound logical on paper, but for Iyer and his fans, it feels deeply wrong. Not getting a place even in the reserves makes it look like he’s been sidelined — despite proving himself, time and again, as one of India’s most reliable run-machines.
Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, and Rinku Singh — the power hitters of IPL — make their place in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup squad. The question of number 5 is big, as the capability of not setting down but hitting around to increase the score matters. The mindset of playing according to the wickets and score matters, and the availability of Hardik Pandya also creates a tight competition.
The bowling attack of the India team is looking quite dangerous and attacking. Mixed with spinners and pacers, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi pitches are usually a bit dry and gripping, the ball doesn’t come nicely onto the bat, making it a bowling match. That makes low-scoring battles. India’s strategy seems to be clogging up the middle order with spin plus yorker.
