Shreyas Iyer Omitted from Asia Cup 2025 Squad: Ajit Agarkar Explains the Decision

The selection committee has revealed India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to begin on September 9th. A surprising exclusion from the team is Shreyas Iyer, despite his strong performances, including his contributions in the IPL 2025. The middle order will feature Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya, alongside skipper Suryakumar Yadav, leaving no place for Iyer. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the BCCI, addressed the decision, explaining the reasoning behind Iyer’s omission. He mentioned that the selection was based on a combination best suited for the tournament, and that Iyer would need to await his turn. Iyer last played a T20I match in December 2023, where he scored a half-century and led India to victory against Australia. In the recent IPL season, Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders and in IPL 2024, took Punjab Kings to the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He scored 251 runs in 15 matches in 2024 and 604 runs in 17 matches in 2025. Iyer was also the highest run-scorer for India in the Champions Trophy 2025, accumulating 243 runs in five innings with an average of 48.60, including two half-centuries. Despite these achievements, he was not selected.