One of the most unexpected names left off of India’s 2025 Asia Cup roster was Shreyas Iyer. Following the announcement of the squad, Ajit Agarkar, the top selector for the BCCI, said that it was regrettable that the Mumbai batter was left out of the 15-man roster. Additionally, Agarkar said that Shreyas was not at blame. The captain of the Punjab Kings was surprisingly unable to get a berth among the five players selected as reserves.
Sanjay Manjrekar, a former batter for India, was taken aback by Shreyas’ exclusion from the starting lineup. The seasoned analyst charged that the selectors were choosing players for one format based on how well they performed in other formats.
This trend of selectors to choose a player based on his performances in one format and then select him for another is something I’ve observed over the years, not just recently. It just seems illogical to me as a cricketer when a player from the T20 team rewards another player for his performance in a Test match. In a video posted on his Instagram account, Manjrekar stated, “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Manjrekar emphasised how Shreyas demonstrated his abilities in the Indian Premier League and the home series against England earlier this year.
It’s stunning that Shreyas was left off of India’s T20 team for the Asia Cup. This man was excluded from the Indian game for good reason—they believed he wasn’t dedicated to becoming a domestic cricket master. However, Shreyas Iyer experienced the expected outcome. You could tell that he was batting like he had never batted before when he returned to play England at home in a one-day series. didn’t make a single mistake during the string of comebacks. Manjrekar stated, “and then carried that form into IPL cricket.”
I believe the selections have gravely mistreated Shreyas Iyer: Manjrekar cited Shreyas’ outstanding performance in the 2025 Indian Premier League, as he guided the Punjab Kings to their first final in eleven years. With 604 runs in 17 innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, the 30-year-old took the lead.
No hitter, in my opinion, has played that well throughout the IPL season. What with a strike rate of over 170, an average of over 50, and being the team’s game-changing batsman? Additionally, he is rewarded by not being chosen. That’s what happens when you leave out a guy who has demonstrated one of the strongest performances in recent months in a format that the Indian squad is being selected for. Maybe for a man who has performed really well in Test cricket, an entirely other format. Choose a player who has performed well in Test cricket, Manjrekar advised.
Even if India performed admirably in England and has a good chance of doing so again in this Asia Cup, it’s still incredible.
Manjrekar asserted that Shreyas was wronged by the selectors and that the team selections haven’t been very good lately.
Additionally, a player’s success in Test cricket does not automatically translate into a T20 spot, particularly when it comes at the expense of someone like Shreyas Iyer. In my opinion, Indian cricket’s squad and playing eleven selections haven’t been very good lately. However, wrong is wrong. Additionally, I believe the selectors have badly harmed Iyer,” Manjrekar remarked.
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, is the reigning champion. They are grouped with Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. On September 10, the Men in Blue play the United Arab Emirates in Dubai to begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign.
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