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.
Shreyas Iyer declines West Zone captaincy in Duleep Trophy 2025
Right-handed Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer was the first choice to lead the West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, beginning August 28. However, the 30-year-old turned down the request as he was expecting to be picked in the Asia Cup squad. According to a report in The Times of India, Shreyas turned down the offer made by West Zone selectors, and hence, they went ahead with Shardul Thakur as the skipper.
The 15-member Asia Cup squad was announced earlier this week. Shreyas Iyer failed to make the cut despite setting the stage on fire in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Punjab Kings, leading them to the final after 11 years and scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.
Shreyas Iyer wasn’t even named in the five standbys list. This call to leave out the in-form batter continues to polarise opinion, and several former players have criticised the Ajit Agarkar-led committee for leaving out a player of Shreyas’ calibre. The right-handed batter might have turned down the captaincy request; however, he is available for the inter-zonal tournament.
“Yes, it’s true Iyer turned down the offer from the West Zone selection committee to captain the team. After that, the chairman of the committee, Sanjay Patil, who is also the Mumbai chief selector, approached Thakur to lead West Zone, an opportunity that Thakur gladly accepted,” Times of India quoted a source as saying.
The same report states that Iyer was expecting a T20I call-up and hence he had begun his white-ball training with his personal coach, Pravin Amre, at the MCA indoor facility in Bandra-Kurla Complex and the Cricket Club of India. Shardul Thakur who will lead the West Zone is in all support of Shreyas Iyer after his snub in the Asia Cup 2025 squad.
Shardul Thakur extends his support to Shreyas Iyer after his snub from the Asia Cup 2025 squad
The announcement of India’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 squad led to much debate as Shreyas Iyer did not get a chance despite excellent form across formats, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 while leading Punjab Kings (PBKS). Iyer’s Mumbai teammate Shardul Thakur chose not to comment on Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee’s decision.
“I cannot say that because it is the decision of the selectors and the board. So we cannot say anything about that. But I cannot say anything about that because it is not in my hands,” Thakur told ANI ahead of Duleep Trophy 2025.
However, Thakur has backed Iyer to come back strongly. He feels that the PBKS captain will put on good performances in upcoming matches.
“There will be controversies, but as a player, you have to be strong. And Shreyas is also very strong. Whenever he plays in the upcoming matches, I am sure he will give a very good performance,” Thakur added.
There is also controversy around the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan that is scheduled to take place on September 14. The fast-bowling all-rounder said that it is a big clash for India cricketers. He backs Suryakumar Yadav-led India to do well in the Asia Cup.
“India-Pakistan is always a big match for cricketers and for the country.
“And the Asia Cup is such a big tournament that it has a lot of importance in the life of a cricketer. We see that before the World Cup, this tournament is played. And the performance in this is carried by the confidence of the team. So Team India will always try to do well in this. And all the players will have our full support,” the 33-year-old said.
Thakur will be seen in action in the Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinal clash starting September 4 at BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground B, Bengaluru. Iyer is part of the West Zone squad as well. He would like to prove his mettle after below par performances on England tour. He claimed two wickets in two games. Many felt that he was underbowled. With the bat, he scored 46 runs from three innings, including two single-digit scores at Headingley, Leeds.
The West Zone will directly play the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy from September 4-7 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. It remains to be seen whether Shreyas will now be included in the Test squad for the home series against the West Indies, beginning October 2. Both Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair failed to grab their chances with both hands in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. There is a strong case for Iyer to be included; however, it remains to be seen whether the selectors reward him with a Test call-up.
For this to happen, Iyer definitely needs to break the door down in the Duleep Trophy semi-final. Shreyas last played a Test for India in 2024 against England. However, midway through the series, Shreyas Iyer failed to turn up for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, leading to his removal from the contract list. However, months later, he was included back in the list, owing to strong performances in white-ball cricket.
West Zone, led by India’s seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, will play their first match of the Duleep Trophy in the semi-final scheduled for September 4, with their opponents to be the winner of the quarter-final clash between Central Zone and North East Zone. India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. India will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
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