When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 15-man squad for the Asia Cup 2025 on Aug 19, no one expected it would cause a furore. But the omission of Shreyas Iyer has led to one.
Here is a batter who has done everything right. He captains with maturity, scores runs with panache, pulls with confidence and most recently led Punjab Kings to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final in a decade.
His numbers – 604 runs in 17 IPL 2025 matches at a strike rate of 175 – stamped his authority. And yet, not only is he not in the 15, he isn’t even among the five standbys.
Even former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, not one to mince words, was left baffled: “How is Shreyas not even in the 20-member squad? That signals he is no longer in the plans.”
Indian spin great Ravichandran Ashwin echoed that sentiment, calling it “sad and unfair”, while former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin summed up the public mood bluntly on X: “Big surprise.”
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar offered a diplomatic defence – “We could pick only 15… Shreyas has to wait,” – but in a season where performance was the yardstick, how does one justify leaving out a batter whose IPL numbers were better than half the chosen squad?
If he doesn’t get in on form, leadership, and versatility now, then when?
The Yashasvi Jaiswal snub is equally perplexing. Until yesterday, he was India’s third opener in the T20 World Cup squad.
In IPL 2025, he smashed 559 runs at a strike rate of 159.71. To now say he was “unfortunate” to miss out because Abhishek Sharma bowls a bit of left-arm spin feels more like a convenience than a conviction.
Ashwin said it best: “Happy for (Shubman) Gill, but sad for Yashasvi. You removed someone you picked for the World Cup just two months ago.” How does that inspire confidence in young players?
Shubman Gill, appointed vice-captain, returns to T20I cricket after more than a year. No doubt, he’s had a superb IPL (650 runs at 155), and his Test form in England reinforced his credentials.
But one can’t help wonder if the selection committee is stretching its T20 plans thin by dipping into the Test template.
Gill, Abhishek, Sanju Samson – three openers – and only one may actually open. Samson’s position now seems precarious. Where does that leave the balance?
Meanwhile, proven IPL finishers like Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma are in the middle-order mix. Suryakumar Yadav leads, Gill deputises, and Hardik Pandya floats around as “all-round asset” while Jasprit Bumrah returns as the head of a strong pace pack – Arshdeep Singh, Hardik, Harshit Rana – with Mohammed Siraj rested and Mohammed Shami seemingly phased out of T20 plans.
Among spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy. No Washington Sundar, again.
Aggressive? Yes. Dynamic? Perhaps. Fair? That’s where opinions split.
If this Asia Cup is a final audition for the T20 World Cup next February, then the omission of Shreyas and Yashasvi sends a clear signal: India is willing to move on from players even at the peak of their form if they don’t fit a stylistic mould or a long-term vision.
That is ruthless, but maybe that is modern-day selection. What jars, however, is the messaging wrapped in unclear explanations.
To say “it’s not their fault, nor ours”, as Agaekar did, is to say everything and nothing. Because on performance alone, there is a compelling case for both of them.
India may still win the Asia Cup – with Suryakumar’s instinct, Gill’s confidence, and Bumrah’s class, they’ll be contenders. But if they fail, this will be the point where many will look back and ask: Why fix what wasn’t broken?
And even if they succeed, the question remains – what more must Shreyas and Yashasvi do to be in India’s top 15?
Sometimes selections are about runs, sometimes about roles. Increasingly, they seem to be about preference. And for now, unfortunately, both Shreyas and Yashasvi simply aren’t the preferred flavour.
