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NDTV
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"If Selectors Really Like Shreyas Iyer, He Should...": Ajit Agarkar Sent Harsh Message On Asia Cup Snub
Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the Indian selectors and management didn't do justice to in-form Shreyas Iyer by axing him from the 15-player squad for next month's Asia Cup. Shreyas' omission from the squad after a bumper Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) as captain has sparked criticism from fans and former cricketers. India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained Shreyas' absence during the squad announcement and told reporters, "With regards to Shreyas, it's 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." The majority have voiced in favour of the 30-year-old, citing several reasons for his inclusion in the highly anticipated tournament. Kaif has now joined the ranks and admitted that he has struggled to understand Shreyas' absence. "Shreyas Iyer's name didn't come up; the selectors said that it was a difficult task to fit him since only 15 could be selected. I can understand all that. I approve of you in this. But even after praising him, his name wasn't even in the standbys," Kaif said on his YouTube channel. What surprised Kaif more was that Shreyas couldn't even find a seat in the reserves list. The former gun-fielder questioned the logic behind Dhruv Jurel being named in the reserves despite the presence of wicketkeepers Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma. "There is Jaiswal in the list, and you have Jurel. There is no need for Jurel. If the selectors really like Iyer, he should have been named in the standbys. If someone got injured, he could've gone there," he said. "You won't see Shreyas Iyer in the Asia Cup, which I think was wrong. His name should be in the standbys 100 per cent. Speaking of Jurel, you see Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are already there in the squad. You pick Jurel there, and kept Parag in the standbys. I think there is no justice with Shreyas Iyer," he added. Shreyas was India's highest run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in CT 2025, with 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, with two fifties and a best score of 79. He concluded his run in IPL 2025 as the sixth-highest run-getter, after garnering 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, at a strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*. Another name that caught many by surprise was the explosive all-rounder Rinku Singh. Despite an underwhelming run with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Rinku still remained in the grand scheme of things. According to Kaif, Rinku's stint in the UP T20 League, especially with the ball, could have swayed the selectors' minds. "Rinku Singh's selection, in my opinion, is because in the UPT20 League, he is bowling in the tournament as well. Since Washington Sundar is not in the 15-member squad, even Rinku Singh can bowl 2-3 overs on the UAE pitch," he said. 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. 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 Singh
NDTV
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Ex-India Star Joins R Ashwin, Gives 'Big' Take On Shreyas Iyer's Asia Cup Snub
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed his disbelief over the 'surprise' exclusion of batter Shreyas Iyer from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Iyer's omission from the 15-member contingent, as well as the five-man reserves, has sparked a huge debate in the fraternity. Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was one of the first ex-cricketers to have called out BCCI on Iyer's exclusion, calling the decision "sad" and "unfair". Similarly, Azharuddin, too, was surprised not to see Iyer's name on the list. Taking to social media platform X, Azharudding wrote: "Shreyas Iyer left out of the squad. Big surprise" Shreyas Iyer left out of the squad. Big surprise. #AsiaCup2025 @ShreyasIyer15 — Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) August 19, 2025 Speaking on his omission, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said, "With regards to Shreyas, you'll have to tell who he can replace. It is again, no fault of his, nor is it ours. It's just that at the moment, you can just pick 15. He's got to wait for his chance." Shreyas was India's highest run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in CT 2025, with 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, with two fifties and a best score of 79. He concluded his run in IPL 2025 as the sixth-highest run-getter, after garnering 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, at a strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*. Despite being overlooked for the shortest format, Iyer is set to be handed a major responsibility by the BCCI. According to sources, Iyer is leading the race to become India's next ODI captain. The selectors see Iyer as a long-term replacement for Rohit Sharma, as far as captaincy in concerned. The decision on India's ODI team could come as soon as after the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played from September 9-28 in the UAE. In addition, Test skipper Shubman Gill might also replace Suryakumar Yadav as full-time captain of the T20I team.
NDTV
11 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
On Shreyas Iyer's Asia Cup Snub, Ex-Pak Star's Honest Take: 'Pakistan Mein Hota To... '
Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali was surprised with the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami from India's Asia Cup squad. The BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the continental event on Tuesday, and appointed Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the Suryakumar Yadav -led side. While Jaiswal was been named as one of the five reserves, the other three were completely overlooked by the selectors. Speaking on YouTube show Game Time, Basit said that if the quartet of Iyer, Jaiswal, Shami and Siraj played for Pakistan, they would've been part of 'A' category, highlighting the abundance of talent India have in the shortest format. "Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami agar Pakistan mein hote na ye log A category mey hote (These would have been in Pakistan's A category)," said Basit. Speaking particularly on Iyer's snub, Basit accused the BCCI of mistreating the player. "Iyer ke saad jyadati ho gayi hai. Unko team mey hona chahiye (It was unfortunate that Shreyas Iyer has not been picked)," he said. Basit also backed India to win the Asia Cup, saying that only Sri Lanka can challenge them for the title. "They have got a very explosive squad and I think only Sri Lanka can compete with him," he added. Shreyas' omission from the squad after a bumper Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) as captain has sparked criticism from fans and former cricketers. Shreyas was India's highest run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in CT 2025, with 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, with two fifties and a best score of 79. He concluded his run in IPL 2025 as the sixth-highest run-getter, after garnering 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, at a strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Shreyas Iyer Not Even In Reserves: Ajit Agarkar Explains India Star's Asia Cup 2025 Snub
India's highly anticipated squad for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced on Tuesday with skipper Suryakumar Yadav and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressing a press conference in Mumbai. Amid heavy rainfall in the city, the media interaction took place and the squad was announced. Batter Shubman Gill, who brilliantly led India against England in his maiden stint as the Test captain, was uncertain about his spot in the Asia Cup squad. However, the fans were left utterly surprised after he was not only picked but also named as the vice captain of the team. Gill's last T20 match was against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2024 and he has now replaced Axar Patel as the deputy of skipper Suryakumar Yadav. "Gill's form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all," chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference The right-handed batter's entry blocked the way for Shreyas Iyer, who was a strong contender for a spot in the team. Iyer made headlines with his brilliant captaincy in IPL 2024, where he guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the title, followed by taking Punjab Kings to final in 2025. Speaking on Iyer's omission, Agarkar said, "It's very unfortunate for Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Abhishek doing well, he can bowl as well - one of the two was going to miss out - same with Shreyas, not his fault". "With respect to Shreyas Iyer, who can he replace? It's no fault of his, but neither ours." Iyer continued to dominate ODI cricket this year, finishing as India's top run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in their CT 2025 title win, scoring 243 runs in five matches and innings at an average of 48.60 with two half-centuries and a best score of 79. Apart from Iyer, there were some lingering doubts on Bumrah's availability largely due to the proximity to the home Test series against the West Indies in October. But the selectors opted to pick and this will be Bumrah's first T20 tournament since last year's World Cup.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Shubman Gill Snubbed As Ambati Rayudu Picks India's Next ODI Captain
The entire country is excited to know what will be India's squad for the Aisa Cup 2025, which will kick-start from September 9 in the UAE. With the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma in contention, there are chances that Test skipper Shubman Gill might get snubbed. Gill, who had a brilliant outing with the bat during the recently-concluded Test series against England, is not certain about his spot in the team. Apart from Gill, another big name who is not a certainity is of batter Shreyas Iyer. Iyer proved his worth as one of the best T20 captains after he led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and took Punjab Kings to the final in 2025. Recently, former India batter Ambati Rayudu stated Iyer should be named as India's new ODI captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. "Iyer, he has got an extraordinary calmness. He first captained KKR as the champions and then Punjab. The way he led a young team to the final of the tournament. I mean, nobody had imagined that. Very soon he should be made the captain," said Rayudu on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast. Ambati Rayudu said Shreyas Iyer should be next ODI captain of indian cricket team 🇮🇳 #ShreyasIyer #apmbatirayudu — Horizon (@hype_edittz) August 18, 2025 Iyer continued to dominate ODI cricket this year, finishing as India's top run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter in their CT 2025 title win, scoring 243 runs in five matches and innings at an average of 48.60 with two half-centuries and a best score of 79. Later, in IPL 2025, Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter 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*. He played a massive role in taking PBKS to their first IPL final since 2014, but the team fell short by six runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
