Mumbai cricketer Shreyas Iyer was left out of India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025, and his father Santosh Iyer has expressed disappointment over the decision. Speaking to The Times of India, Santosh said his son has done everything possible to earn a place in the T20 team. He pointed to Iyer’s consistent performances in the IPL, leading Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in recent years. Iyer even captained KKR to the 2024 IPL title and guided PBKS to the final this year.
“I don’t know what else Shreyas has to do to make it to the Indian team. I am not saying make him captain, but at least select him in the squad. Even if he is left out, he never shows dissent. He just says, ‘Mera naseeb hai’ (It’s my luck). He is always calm, but naturally he must be disappointed inside,” Santosh said.
The 30-year-old was India’s highest run-scorer in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and had strong outings in the IPL and domestic matches for Mumbai. He has not featured in a T20I since 2023 and was expected to return during the Asia Cup.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said both batters had been in good form but there was no space for them in the current setup. “It’s unfortunate that Shreyas Iyer misses out. It’s no fault of his, neither ours. He has to wait for his chance,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said. “We have got some serious options in T20 squad…sometimes not the easiest squad to pick but good headache to have,” he added. Along with the main squad of 15, the selectors also named 5 players as standbys, but Iyer’s name wasn’t in that list as well.
The bowling unit also saw a few surprises. Jasprit Bumrah remains the spearhead, but Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were left out.
The tournament will be played in the T20 format and begins on September 9. India will look to test their squad combinations ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2026.
Team India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
