"You are being biased against Shreyas Iyer" - 1983 World Cup winner makes huge claim over Asia Cup 2025 squad selection

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has slammed the selectors for not picking Shreyas Iyer in the 15-member squad for Asia Cup 2025. According to the 1983 World Cup winner, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper should have been an automatic choice for the No. 5 spot on current form.

India's squad for Asia Cup 2025 was announced in Mumbai on Tuesday, August 19 at a joint press conference addressed by skipper Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. While Shubman Gill was named vice-captain following his Test exploits for England, Shreyas was snubbed again.

While discussing Team India's squad selection for Asia Cup 2025 on his YouTube channel 'Cheeky Cheeka', a perplexed Srikkanth questioned the non-inclusion of Shreyas and commented:

"You are being biased against Shreyas Iyer. What mistake has he committed? Shreyas Iyer played so well in the Champions Trophy in the UAE sometimes back. Why were his performances not considered?"

The 65-year-old also trashed Agarkar's theory that there was no place for Shreyas in the team. Responding to the former India pacer's statement, Srikkanth said:

"Agarkar asked, 'where is the place for Shreyas Iyer?'. No. 5 straightaway. Six can be Hardik Pandya, seven Axar Patel and eight Jitesh Sharma. The balance of the team has got totally lost. Shubman Gill has done well in the IPL and the Champions Trophy, so go ahead with him. But, by the same yardstick what wrong has Yashasvi Jaiswal done?"

Continuing to back Shreyas, the former India chief selector questioned how the likes of Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana were picked ahead of him. Srikkanth elaborated:

"Shreyas Iyer should have been an automatic choice on current form. He scored 600-plus runs in the IPL and took the team to the final. Look at his strike rate - it’s 175 and average is 50. Brilliant performance. Agarkar was talking nonsense. I don’t agree with him. You can give a place to Harshit, Rinku and Dube, but not to Shreyas. There is not logic behind it."

India's 15-member squad for Asia Cup 2025 includes two keeper-batters in Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also finds a place, while lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah has also been included.

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When did Shreyas Iyer last play a T20I for India?

Despite displaying good form in white-ball cricket, Shreyas has not played a T20I match for India since December 2023, when he featured in a game against Australia in Bengaluru.

The 30-year-old has played 51 T20Is for the Men in Blue and has scored 1,104 runs at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12, with the aid of eight half-centuries and a best of 74*. He was a key member of the Indian ODI squad that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE earlier this year.