Asia Cup 2025: Shreyas Iyer’s Exclusion Explained by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar

The Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement sparked controversy with the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, a notable performer in recent cricket. The tournament commences on September 9th, and the selection committee’s choices have been made public. The middle-order batsmen chosen for the Asia Cup include Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav as captain, leading to Iyer’s omission. Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI’s chief selector, clarified the rationale behind this decision. Agarkar stated that the selection was made considering the best possible combination for the tournament. He emphasized that Iyer’s exclusion was not due to any fault of his, but rather a strategic choice. In his last T20I match in December 2023, Iyer showcased his talent by scoring a half-century and leading India to victory. In the IPL, Iyer displayed excellent form, captaining Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in 2024 and leading Punjab Kings to the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024. He scored 251 runs in 15 matches during 2024 and 604 runs in 17 matches in 2025. In the Champions Trophy 2025, Iyer was the leading run-scorer for India, with 243 runs from five innings, averaging 48.60 and including two fifties. Despite these accomplishments, he was not selected for the Asia Cup.