A day before the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off, Shreyas Iyer opened up about one of the toughest phases of his career. Despite being a key performer for India in the Champions Trophy earlier this year and leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, the India batter Shreyas Iyer found himself surprisingly left out of the 15-man Asia Cup squad.
Instead, Shreyas Iyer has been named captain of India A for multi-day matches against Australia A starting September 16—a stark reminder of the brutal competition in Indian cricket, where even top players can be sidelined.
However,Shreyas Iyer’s current setback is minor compared to the ordeal he endured in 2023. After finishing as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the home World Cup, he suffered a serious back injury that nearly ended his career. The injury worsened to the point where one of his legs became paralysed.
Following extensive rehabilitation, Shreyas Iyer managed a remarkable return, though not without heavy costs: the Kolkata Knight Riders released him despite his instrumental role in their title win, and he was also dropped from the BCCI Central Contracts list.
Shreyas Iyer’s unprecedented T20 peak
Moreover, having led his teams to successive IPL finals – KKR in 2024 and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2025 – Shreyas Iyer has also proven his worth as a leader. The PBKS skipper truly led his team from the front in 2025, scoring 604 runs from 17 innings at an average of 50.33 with six fifties.
However, Shreyas Iyer’s impact on the team was beyond numbers, as he left a golden chance to complete his maiden IPL century in the first match itself by deciding not to farm the strike and let Shashank Singh finish the innings with a flurry of boundaries. The selfless act sent the right message across the team as the leader was ready to sacrifice his personal milestones in pursuit of the team’s goal.
In the knockouts, Punjab faced the Herculean task of chasing 204 against the best bowling attack of the tournament, but Iyer took it upon himself to take them over the line as he even took on the beast named ‘Jasprit Bumrah’ to seal the deal for his side.
There were numerous compelling reasons for Shreyas’ inclusion: 604 delightful runs while leading Punjab Kings to the final in this year’s IPL, at an average of 50.33 and a fabulous strike-rate of 175.07, easily the best among the ten highest run-getters (Shreyas sat at No. 6). His experience and expertise against the turning ball on the same surfaces where his middle-order composure and nous were pivotal to India’s success in the 50-over Champions Trophy in February-March.
His recent emergence as an accomplished player of the short ball, which had troubled him no end until a year and a bit back. His ability to take the fight to the bowlers from the off, a character trait T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir are strong advocates of. His tactical awareness and leadership bucket that Suryakumar could have dipped into in a tight corner.
His electric agility and excellent fielding, anywhere on the park. And yet, here is Shreyas Iyer, not only missing from the 15-man party but also omitted from the reserves.
Last year, Shreyas Iyer found redemption when he became the second-most expensive IPL acquisition ever, bought for Rs 26.75 crore. Yet, the India squad omissions continued, not only for the Asia Cup but also for the Test series in England—a surprising exclusion given Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements that created openings in the middle order. India held their ground, but Shreyas Iyer’s return to the Test arena remains uncertain.
Shreyas Iyer’s absence from India’s T20 squad for the Asia Cup, starting September 9 in Dubai is currently the trending point of discussion in the cricketing circuit and amongst the experts . Shreyas Iyer, who led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final and scored 604 runs at an average of 50.33 with a strike rate of 175.07, was not considered for the continental showpiece. Shreyas Iyer, who was not even picked as a standby, has not played the shortest format for India since December 2023.
In the IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer not only led Punjab Kings from the front but also played the role of a finisher. That it was not a one-off seasonal performance became evident from the fact that he had powered the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title the season before. However, Shreyas Iyer was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auctions last December.
Shreyas Iyer, who has not featured in T20Is for India since December 2023, was not included in the Suryakumar Yadav-led 15-member Asia Cup squad announced on Tuesday, nor named in the five stand-by players list.Former India spinner Maninder Singh on Monday expressed his disappointment over the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer from India’s squad for the Asia Cup beginning on September 9.
I am very surprised with Shreyas Iyer’s absence-Maninder Singh
The burning question all around the cricketing fraternity is the absence of Shreyas Iyer from India’s Asia Cup squad. Iyer last played the shortest format in November 2023, but his stocks have risen massively since then, courtesy of his astute leadership and prolific run with the willow.
The 30-year-old Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third Indian Premier League trophy in 2024 and also led Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy title in the 2024-25 domestic season. Shreyas Iyer further had his best-ever IPL season in 2025, amassing 604 runs in 17 matches at a staggering strike rate of 175.
Courtesy of his altruistic and breathtaking batting display, coupled with tactful leadership, Shreyas Iyer further guided Punjab Kings (PBKS) to just their second IPL final after 2014. However, despite putting up a performance for the ages, the star batter still finds himself out of contention for the Asia Cup 2025. Iyer even failed to make it to the reserve players’ list for the tournament, which left many baffled.
Former India spinner Maninder Singh is also among those who’ve been left surprised by Iyer’s omission from the Asia Cup squad.
“I’m very surprised. I really don’t know why he keeps getting dropped every time. I can understand, and people have told me that he’s a little aggressive. But that’s what makes him the player he is. That aggression helps him win matches on his own,” Maninder Singh told India Today.
Impressed with Iyer’s leadership over the past few years, Maninder even pushed his case to be the next India captain in white-ball cricket.
“If someone’s aggressive on the field, that doesn’t mean it’s a problem – especially if it’s not translating into bad behaviour. He might not be saying hello to you every time he sees you. But maybe he’s just in his own zone, focused on the game, thinking about how to perform in different situations. That’s part of being a top athlete. I said this about 6-7 years ago that he should be the next captain of India. I just love the way he plays cricket,” he added.
“I’ve lost confidence that they’re going to select him now. I mean, what else does he have to do to get into the Indian T20I side? But I still believe that he’s a brilliant brain, he has got a good cricketing mind and he should be our captain for white-ball cricket,” said the former left-arm spinner, who’s played 35 Tests and 59 ODIs for India and scalped 154 wickets.
Shreyas Iyer was the highest run-scorer for the Punjab Kings, amassing 604 runs across 17 matches at a strike rate of 175. Meanwhile, left out of the Test scheme of things as well as the upcoming Asia Cup T20Is, Iyer was on Saturday, August 6, entrusted with leading the India A side in the two unofficial four-day matches against Australia A in Lucknow.
Right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer will be leading India A in the upcoming two multi-day matches against Australia A, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was recently left out of the Asia Cup squad, but the selectors have now rewarded him with a leadership role. This development comes amid the ongoing reports of Shreyas possibly taking over from Rohit Sharma as the next ODI captain.
Shreyas Iyer has also been out of the Indian Test team since 2024. His leading India A in the upcoming two games against Australia A will augur well for his chances in the upcoming home series against the West Indies and South Africa. If Shreyas Iyer goes on to perform well in the India A games, then he might well be named in the Test squad, as Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair failed to grab their chances in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
Shreyas Iyer, not picked even among the reserves for the Asia Cup starting Tuesday, is turning out for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru.The series between India A and Australia A will begin on September 16. The second unofficial Test will be played from September 23. Both matches will be played in Lucknow. Both teams will also face each other in three ODIs. However, the squad for these games is yet to be announced.
The Men in Blue will kick off their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against arch-rivals Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
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