Shreyas Iyer’s father, Santosh Iyer, has opened up about his son’s omission from India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. He admitted that Shreyas is disappointed to miss out despite being in great form but stressed that he is not blaming anyone. Santosh also urged the selectors to consider giving his son a fair chance in the T20 format.
In a conversation with The Times of India, Santosh said, “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.”
Shreyas and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the notable omissions from the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup starting on September 9. While Jaiswal was included as a reserve player, Shreyas did not even find a place among the five backups.
Shreyas last represented India in a T20I in December 2023 but has been in outstanding form in the IPL. In IPL 2025, he scored 604 runs for Punjab Kings (PBKS) at a strike rate of 175.07, leading the side to the final. He even led PBKS to the final. In 2024, he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL glory.
“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,” Santosh added.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified the reason behind Iyer’s exclusion, saying it was neither Shreyas’ fault nor the selectors. He explained that it was only a matter of choosing 15 players for the current balance of the squad and that there was no place to slot him in. Agarkar said Shreyas will simply have to wait for his turn.
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