"He was the guy who was hitting boundaries whenever he wished" - Aakash Chopra on why star batter deserves to be in India's 2025 Asia Cup squad

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Shreyas Iyer deserves to be a part of the Men in Blue's 2025 Asia Cup squad. He pointed out that the Mumbaikar was India's best batter in the middle overs in the 2025 Champions Trophy and was hitting boundaries at will.

The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. Shreyas will likely be in the selectors' thoughts when they pick the Indian squad for the continental event on Tuesday, August 19.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that Shreyas was one of the star performers in Rohit Sharma and company's title-winning run in the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

"Shreyas Iyer needs to be spoken about because when we were watching the Champions Trophy, no Indian player was better than him in the middle overs. He was the guy who was taking the attack to the opposition. He was the guy who was hitting boundaries whenever he wished, and removing the pressure on the batter at the other end," he said (3:10).

Chopra added that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper merits a place in India's Asia Cup squad based on his performances in IPL 2025.

"After that came the IPL. There were plenty of pressures. This was Shreyas Iyer's best-ever IPL season. We have repeatedly seen that T20 selections are based on IPL performances. We have seen that with Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and everyone. If we see it from that token, Shreyas Iyer deserves to play," he observed.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shreyas Iyer, with 1104 runs at a strike rate of 136.12 in 47 T20I innings, is also the fifth-highest run-scorer among Indian players who are still active in the format. He added that the 30-year-old has matured as a batter and that India would need him if they want to win the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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"The truth is that Tilak Varma is playing either at No. 3 or No. 4" - Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer's place in India's playing XI in 2025 Asia Cup

Tilak Varma has smashed 749 runs at a strike rate of 155.07 in 24 T20I innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Tilak Varma has been performing well, especially at No. 3, for India in T20Is lately.

"We have built a case that Shreyas' name should be there, but the truth is that Tilak Varma is playing either at No. 3 or No. 4. Since he has started playing at No. 3, he has been unstoppable. Since he bats lower down the order in the IPL, it's an apple vs orange comparison. If you see his numbers, you feel the guy hasn't done anything wrong," he said (7:00).

While observing that Suryakumar Yadav also bats either at No. 3 or No. 4, the cricketer-turned-commentator wondered whether Tilak can be dropped to accommodate Shreyas Iyer in the top four in the playing XI.

"He also allows us one more thing. You can maintain a left-right combination. Will you drop Tilak Varma from the XI because I believe Shreyas Iyer's best place to bat is either No. 3 or No. 4? If he goes to No. 5, I think it will be a little too low in T20 cricket, and Surya is at No. 4," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra opined that Shreyas Iyer will be a part of India's Asia Cup squad. He reckoned Rinku Singh might be left out to make a place for the right-handed batter.