Former England bowler Monty Panesar has brought in a different perspective on Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from India’s Asia Cup squad. He believes the leadership skills that the Indian batter brings were not needed, as the team already has Suryakumar Yadav to cover that role.
Iyer showed strong captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Punjab Kings this season, leading them to the finals for the first time since 2014. His brilliance was also evident in the 2024 season as the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, when they were declared champions against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Speaking to India Today, Panesar shared his opinion on what led to Iyer’s omission from the T20 squad.
“One of the reasons Shreyas Iyer is probably struggling to get into the Indian squad is because he brings those leadership skills and, at the moment, possibly they’ve got that covered,” he said.
The former England cricketer sees it as a chance for the Indian team to bring in new players and have them managed under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
He added, “It gives them an opportunity to bring in someone younger, a bit more exciting to play, who would be easier to manage for coach Gautam Gambhir.”
Besides his leadership, Panesar believes Iyer can still add value to the squad as a batter. His recent form in IPL 2025 saw him score 604 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 175.07.
“So I think he being the captain in IPL makes it a bit difficult for him to get into that team. But I do believe, if he keeps scoring runs, he should be playing. But it’s just the talent, the talent is unbelievable,” he mentioned.
Panesar further backed the current Indian talent pool, saying that the team can bring in different players depending on what the game demands.
“I think India has never been so blessed and lucky that they can pull out probably 2 to 3 teams right now and compete against the world,” he concluded.
Under Suryakumar’s captaincy, India will soon begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign, scheduled to start on September 9.
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