"I have a strong feeling that Shreyas Iyer will be a part of India's T20 World Cup team" - Aakash Chopra on batter's non-selection for 2025 Asia Cup

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Shreyas Iyer's non-selection in the Men in Blue's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. However, he opined that the right-handed batter would be part of the Indian squad for next year's T20 World Cup.

The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. The selectors picked a 15-member Indian squad for the continental event on Tuesday, August 19, with Shreyas being one of the notable omissions.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that Shreyas couldn't have done anything more to merit a selection, and reckoned that the Mumbaikar would be picked for the 2026 T20 World Cup if he continues to perform well in ODIs.

"Shreyas Iyer not being there is a big story. What more will Shreyas Iyer have to do? What more can you do than what you have already done? You had a 600-plus run IPL season, took the team to the final, scored runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, played Ranji, and won the Champions Trophy. That's all you can do as a human being," Chopra said (5:05).

"This is the Asia Cup team. Don't attach the World Cup with it because there are 15 T20Is after this. The world changes in 15 T20Is. If he keeps scoring runs in ODIs, sooner or later, Shreyas Iyer will be part of the team. I have a strong feeling that Shreyas Iyer will be a part of India's T20 World Cup team," he added.

However, Chopra opined that Shreyas has been treated slightly unfairly at the moment. While acknowledging that there wasn't a vacant place at No. 3 or No. 4 in the XI, he added that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper could have still been accommodated in the squad.

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"That is surprising" - Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer not being picked among the reserves for 2025 Asia Cup

Shreyas Iyer was one of the star performers in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra expressed surprise over Shreyas Iyer's exclusion even from the five reserves picked for the 2025 Asia Cup.

"Shreyas' name is not even there in the five reserves, and that is surprising. It's understandable that you couldn't have him in the 15 as you can't play him in the XI, and you wanted lower-order batters as backup, where Shivam Dube is there, and Rinku Singh will be given another chance, which is absolutely par for the course," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the 30-year-old's omission from the 20-player list doesn't send a great signal.

"However, a place could have been created in the reserve players at least, where you have kept Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prasidh Krishna. This player's name could have been there. You haven't kept it there either, and that doesn't send a great signal. The clarity in front of Shreyas' name is completely not there," Chopra observed.

Shreyas has aggregated 1,104 runs at a strike rate of 136.12 in 47 T20I innings. However, he hasn't played a T20I since December 2023.