The exclusion of 30-year-old India batter Shreyas Iyer from the T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 has come as a huge surprise to the cricketing World. The continental tournament will run from September 9 to 28 in the United Arab Emirates, with matches scheduled across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But there is an untold story according to media professional reportedly Rohit Sharma’s exclusion Costed him his spot. There are strong suggestions that the absence of ODI captain Rohit Sharma played a role in Iyer’s omission. Reports suggest that Iyer was not originally in contention for the Champions Trophy 2025 either, but Rohit intervened to secure his selection after recognising the batter’s potential.
Journalist Shamik Chakrabarty of RevSportz revealed the backstory:
“I can give you a back story. I can give you a back story before the Champions Trophy team selection, also, which was a 50-over format. Shreyas Iyer’s position was uncertain and it was Rohit Sharma who put his foot down and I can confirm this.
Rohit Sharma put his foot down and said, I want this man in my squad. Now Shreyas Iyer, the way he played and after India won the trophy at the press conference, Rohit said, if I want to single out one player, that is Shreyas Iyer, the way he has played.”
Without Rohit to support him this time, it appears that the selectors decided to stick with their original plan, resulting in Iyer being left out of the T20I squad.
England ODI series twist
The manner in which Iyer got opportunities earlier this year also demonstrates how his selection often depended on circumstances. In the home ODI series against England before the Champions Trophy, India intended to play Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of him. However, Virat Kohli suffered a knee injury on the eve of the first ODI in Nagpur, which opened the door for Iyer to play.
He grabbed the chance with both hands, scoring 59, 44, and 78 in the three matches. These performances ensured he retained his place in the XI and secured a longer rope during the tournament that followed.
Brutal setback for Iyer
Iyer was widely expected to make his T20I comeback in this marquee event, especially as several cricket experts had him included in their predicted India squads. Despite consistently performing at the international and domestic level, and building a reputation as a dependable right-hander, he shockingly failed to find a place. In the ODI series against England earlier this year, he was India’s top performer, finishing as the team’s leading run-getter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with 243 runs at an average of 48.6 and a strike rate of 79.41.
Despite this outstanding run with both India and Punjab Kings, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee overlooked him for the Asia Cup squad.
