"We should be discussing why Yashasvi Jaiswal is not in the team" - Former India bowler's big remark on southpaw's omission from Asia Cup 2025 squad

Former India bowler Atul Wassan has questioned the omission of opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal from the 15-member Asia Cup 2025 squad. He said that the Mumbai batter should feel aggrieved because he was the reserve opener in India's 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad and yet hasn't been selected.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as one of the five standby players for Asia Cup 2025 that starts in the United Arab Emirates on September 7. Wassan told CNN-News18:

"Jaiswal should be more aggrieved. Why? Jaiswal was the third opener when India won the World Cup. More than Shreyas Iyer, we should be discussing why Yashasvi Jaiswal is not in the team. Now Rohit Sharma is out, Virat Kohli is out, but Jaiswal is not in the team. Why? He has done nothing wrong.”

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had also questioned Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission from the Asia Cup squad. He said that with Shubman Gill's inclusion and elevation to T20I vice-captaincy, the southpaw is now competing with Abhishek Sharma for the other opener's slot.

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Aside from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Atul Wassan also questions Shreyas Iyer's omission from the main squad and standbys

One of the major talking points from India's Asia Cup 2025 squad is the absence of Shreyas Iyer from both the main squad and the standbys. Former India bowler Atul Wassan has questioned the 30-year-old's omission for the continental event, saying:

“This is the beauty of cricket and selections in the Indian cricket team. There is a lot of conjecture. I will not call it politics, but definitely personal likes and dislikes. I am amused. Why? Because him (Shreyas Iyer) and Gautam Gambhir’s mind won them the IPL and what he, ever since he came to PBKS and what he did was something magical. So I think there is some bad blood there. But having said that, this one is true that the guy who actually replaced him in the T20 format, Tilak Varma, has done so well that he can’t be replaced."

"Where does Shreyas Iyer play if he comes into the team? But still, for the optics, there is an eye test. Some players immediately feel good to the eye. They should be kept in the team. You have not kept him in the team, you have not kept him in the standbys. Is Shreyas Iyer not good enough to be in the 20 of India? I think I would have kept him in the standbys, if somebody gets injured," Wassan added.

The former India bowler also hoped that Iyer had been informed about being prepared for the series after the Asia Cup. He admitted that if he had been in Iyer's place, he would have felt hard done by. He said:

"But I think if they have not kept him there, did a phone call go to him, saying you prepare for the Test match series, which is coming up against the West Indies, or there is an ODI series against Australia, you keep ready for that. I think if that phone call has not gone, then there is something seriously wrong with him and the people ruling Indian cricket, the selectors and the coach. I would feel hard done by, if I was Shreyas Iyer in this scenario

Other former Indian cricketers, such as Robin Uthappa, also hoped that the men who mattered had spoken to Iyer about his omission from the Asia Cup 2025 squad.