Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has criticised Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer were left out of India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025. Speaking to ANI, Tiwary called for more transparency in the selection process. He said fans and players should know the criteria behind team selections.
"Two deserving candidates, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, have not been able to make it to the team... If you see old videos of Gautam Gambhir, he had said that Yashasvi Jaiswal is such a player that we cannot think of keeping him out of T-20. Now that he himself is the coach, there is no place for Shreyas Iyer in the team. Shreyas Iyer's performance is the best if you look at the last year... It's eye-opening that he didn't get a place in the T20... The selection process should be made live so that sports lovers know who has been selected and why," he said as quoted by ANI.
The selection of the team surprised fans and former players. Yashasvi Jaiswal was named only as a reserve, while Shreyas Iyer did not make the squad. Both players had strong performances in IPL 2025. Iyer also contributed in domestic cricket and helped Punjab Kings reach the IPL final. He had earlier led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title and played a key role in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory.
India will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE on September 10. They will face Pakistan in a high-profile match on September 14 in Dubai.
