Shreyas Iyer’s omission from the Asia Cup 2025 squad has drawn sharp scrutiny in the direction of the All India Choice Committee. Regardless of his beautiful type in ODIs and IPL 2025, the trendy batter didn’t discover a place in the principle squad and even among the many reserves for the multi-nation match within the UAE. Along with his exclusion, the staff administration has despatched a transparent message that he’s not of their scheme of issues for the following 12 months’s T20 World Cup, with the likes of Riyan Parag chosen over him within the reserves.
Iyer made his T20I debut in 2017 however struggled to turn out to be an everyday within the set-up, usually lacking out on constant help from the administration. After that includes in a number of sequence towards New Zealand and Sri Lanka that 12 months, he needed to wait a number of years earlier than being recalled. Though he turned a extra frequent presence within the T20 squad between 2019 and 2021, he was finally not included within the ultimate 15-man squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup held within the UAE. The identical scenario occurred within the following two World Cup cycles, as he was additionally excluded from the squads for the 2022 and 2024 editions.
Now, it looks like an analogous scenario has arrived once more as he has been ignored of the Asia Cup squad, which can kickstart Suryakumar Yadav and Co.’s preparations for subsequent 12 months’s showpiece ICC occasion. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar maintained that Shreyas Iyer has carried out nothing incorrect however urged him to be affected person for his alternative — a stance that every one however dims his hopes of that includes in subsequent 12 months’s T20 World Cup.
A take a look at Shreyas Iyer’s numbers in T20Is
Matches: 51
Innings: 47
Runs: 1,104
Common: 30.67
Strike Fee: 136.13
Excessive Rating: 90
50s: 8
He final performed a T20I in 2023, the place he scored a fifty towards Australia in Bengaluru. Nevertheless, so much has modified in his profession up to now; he was ignored of the BCCI annual central contract listing for the 2023-24 season. His exclusion got here after he missed a scheduled Ranji Trophy fixture, regardless of being declared match by the NCA. Nevertheless, he asserted that he had some points together with his again, which displeased the BCCI, resulting in him and Ishan Kishan each being ignored of that season’s retainers.
He needed to grind in home cricket to get the selectors’ consideration, however even the IPL title win with KKR in 2024 did not assist him get picked for final 12 months’s World Cup squad.
The 30-year-old continued to work onerous within the home circuit, scoring 325 runs within the Vijay Hazare Trophy, together with a few centuries. He additionally labored on his T20 recreation and loved a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 345 runs at a strike price of 188.52.
The onerous work paid off, and he was recalled to the ODI staff for the England sequence and the Champions Trophy, the place he was the standout batter for India. He labored on his batting approach and overcame the shortcomings he had towards the quick balls early in his profession. The 30-year-old emerged as India’s main run-scorer within the mega ICC occasion, amassing 243 runs in 5 innings at a median of 48.60, which included two half-centuries.
After making a profitable ODI comeback, he raised his inventory within the T20, too, with a sensational IPL 2025 together with his new franchise, Punjab Kings.
Shreyas Iyer’s IPL 2025 efficiency
Matches Performed: 17
Whole Runs: 604
Common: 50.33
Strike Fee: 175.07
Half-Centuries: 6
He guided the Punjab Kings to their first IPL ultimate, which they final achieved in 2014, and likewise etched his title in historical past as the one captain to take three completely different franchises to the match’s summit conflict.
But regardless of his exploits, he discovered no place within the Asia Cup squad, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav as an alternative displaying religion in different gamers who had capitalised on their alternatives. Tilak Varma, who occupies the identical middle-order slot as Shreyas, has firmly established himself in India’s T20I aspect because the 2024 World Cup. His constant run of type has even propelled him to No. 2 within the ICC rankings for T20 batters. In 9 appearances since that match, the left-hander has piled up 413 runs at a blistering strike price of 170.66, together with two centuries that underlined his match-winning capacity. The one actual competitors he faces on this position is from his captain, Suryakumar, who has been India’s standout performer within the shortest format over the previous couple of years, amassing 2,598 runs at a strike price of 167.07.
Nevertheless, regardless of all that, Iyer’s omission nonetheless raises eyebrows, as his current T20 type makes a robust case for his inclusion. On numbers alone, he had carried out greater than sufficient to benefit a spot within the 20-member squad, even when solely among the many reserves.
