Shreyas Iyer's father on Asia Cup snub: Not asking for captaincy, at least select him

Santosh Iyer has expressed disappointment at his son Shreyas Iyer missing out on the Asia Cup squad despite his consistent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In an emotional reaction, Santosh said Shreyas is naturally disappointed not to have been given an opportunity, but he is not blaming anyone for the setback.

Shreyas and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the notable omissions from the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup, starting on 9 September. While Jaiswal was named in the travelling reserves, Iyer was not even considered among the five back-up players.

Several former cricketers and pundits have questioned the decision, pointing to Iyer's exploits with the bat in IPL 2025, where he led perennial underachievers Punjab Kings to their first final in 11 years - a year after guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their first title in a decade.

"I don't know what else Shreyas has to do to make it to the Indian T20 team. He has been performing so well in the IPL year after year, from Delhi Capitals to Kolkata Knight Riders to Punjab Kings, and that too as a captain. He even captained KKR to the IPL title in 2024 and led PBKS to the final this year," Santosh told The Times of India.

Shreyas, who last played for India in December 2023, was widely expected to feature in the Asia Cup squad after a sensational IPL 2025 season. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar pointed to the intense competition for places in the Indian T20I side, insisting there was no one Shreyas could realistically replace at this point in time.

Santosh shed light on Shreyas's state of mind following the omission, urging the selectors at least to consider his inclusion in the squad.

"I am not saying make him the Indian captain, but at least select him in the team. Even if he's left out, he never shows dissent. He'll simply say, 'Mera naseeb hai' (It's my luck; you can't do anything now). He is always cool and calm.

"He doesn't blame anybody, but deep inside he must be naturally disappointed," he added.

Shreyas has redefined his game to meet the demands of modern T20 cricket. Batting in the middle order of a powerful Punjab Kings line-up, he adopted a high-risk approach and thrived with it, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175. Once known more as an accumulator, he embraced the aggressor's role and consistently put the team ahead of personal milestones, setting the tone for a young Punjab side under head coach Ricky Ponting.

Former India captain and ex-chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth was among the fiercest critics of Iyer's omission from the Asia Cup squad. Srikkanth lashed out at Agarkar's reasoning, insisting the Punjab Kings captain deserved a place ahead of a couple of players, including Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube.

INDIA SQUAD FOR ASIA CUP 2025

India squad for Asia Cup T20: 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

Stand-bys: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal