Shreyas Iyer was overlooked from India's squad for the Asia Cup despite a stellar show in the IPL 2025. Shreyas amassed 604 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 175.07 and proved his credentials as a leader by taking Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final, which they lost.
Shreyas' snub came as a big shock to many, which included his father Santosh Iyer. Speaking to the Times of India, Santosh highlighted his son's impact in the shorter format and expressed that he fails to find the logic behind his exclusion from the Indian T20 setup.
"I don’t know what else Shreyas has to do to make it to the Indian T20 team. He has been performing so well in the IPL year after year, from Delhi Capitals to Kolkata Knight Riders to Punjab Kings, and that too as a captain. He even captained KKR to the IPL title in 2024, and led PBKS to the final this year. I’m not saying make him the Indian captain but at least select him in the team," noted Santosh.
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He even detailed how disappointed his son is but won't express and rather blame it on his fate. "However, let me tell you that even if he's left out of the team, he doesn't show dissent on his face. He'll just say 'Mera naseeb hai' (It's my luck) You can't do anything now' - He's always cool and calm. He doesn't blame anybody but deep inside, he must be naturally disappointed," he added.
Ajit Agarkar, the current chairman of selector, had noted both Shreyas and the selection committee are not at "fault" over his absence from the Asia Cup 2025 squad.
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The same report quoted a BCCI source, who clarified that a player of Shreyas' stature cannot be named in the reserves. If he travels, he is picked in the playing XI, before dismissing speculations hinting "any grudge" against the cricketer.
"A seasoned player like Shreyas can't be named in the reserves, please understand this! If you pick him, he plays in the XI. No one has any grudge against Iyer. He will get his chances and play many matches for India in all the three formats of the game. It's just that right now, he didn't fit in!"
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