‘You'll have to wait for his chance': Ajit Agarkar on Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from Asia Cup squad
The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, which was held after a selection meeting which also featured the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia.
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.
"With regards to Shreyas, not his fault, nor is it ours. It's just that you can pick 15 and at the moment you'll have to wait for his chance," Agarkar told the media.
Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL 2025 and had his best season, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*.
Despite a great IPL season, he missed out on finding a spot in the squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named in the reserve players for the Asia Cup.
Agarkar, commenting on his exclusion from the 15-member squad, said it's unfortunate, and Abhishek Sharma, alongside his batting, can also bowl, which gives India an extra option.
"With regards to Yashasvi, I mean, it's just unfortunate again. You know, there's Abhishek Sharma, what he's done over the last few months or a year or so that he's been with the team, plus that he can bowl a little bit, gives us an option if required by the captain. One of these guys was always going to miss out. It's just unfortunate that Yashasvi might have to wait for his chance," he added.
Jaiswal was the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the T20 World Cup last year. He was the backup as India wanted to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Having made 723 runs in 23 T20Is with a century and five fifties at a strike rate of over 164 throughout his career, Jaiswal's 559-run IPL 2025 season (in 14 matches with six fifties at SR of almost 160) brought back the leftie into T20I conversations.
'Will come into the equation if we need four spinners'
All-rounder Washington Sundar has also been named in the reserve players.
On his contention for the upcoming T20 World Cup next year, Agarkar said Sundar will always be in the scheme, and this is not the final squad for the World Cup.
"He'll always be in the scheme of things. This is not the final squad for the World Cup. At the moment, we have three spinners in the squad. Two mystery spinners in Varun, Kuldeep and Akshar. They've been around for a while. Whether we need four spinners, he might always come into the equation, if and when that happens. At the moment, we thought Rinku was the spare batsman we might need. Obviously, Sanju and Jitesh are the two keepers who bat at different positions," Agarkar said.
Indian T20 skipper Surya Kumar Yadav spoke about his discussion with wicketkeeper/batter Jitesh Sharma post T20 World Cup last year and said he's been a completely different cricketer. Sharma has done really well, which earned him a spot in the Asia Cup squad.
Jitesh Sharma has been chosen as a backup wicketkeeper-batter for Sanju Samson.
"I think post the T20 World Cup, we spoke a lot on how to approach, how to go about it. Then we spoke about not think about the milestones ahead. Follow your journey. I think he's been a completely different cricketer post that. He's taken one game at a time. All challenges slow and steady, the way he did in the IPL and also in the domestic tournaments, which he played. The T20S and the one-day, I think he's done really well and he's earned his spot again," Yadav said.
Jitesh shone for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) win for the first time this year, scoring 261 runs in 11 innings at an average of 37.28 and a strike rate of 176.35. After the group stage, the tournament will proceed to the Super 4, where the top two teams from each group will qualify.
If India finishes at the top of Group A, then all of their Super 4 matches will be held in Dubai. If India finishes second, then one of their Super 4 clashes will be held in Abu Dhabi and the remaining two in Dubai.
The Super 4 stage will run from September 20 to 26. Dubai will host the final, which is scheduled for September 28.
Team India squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku SinghReserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal. (ANI)
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