Former South African captain AB de Villiers expressed his surprise over Shreyas Iyer being left out of India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad. Announcing the 15-member team for the eight-nation tournament on Tuesday, August 19, chief selector Ajit Agarkar admitted that Iyer was unfortunate to miss out on selection.
Iyer had been in outstanding form during the 2025 IPL, amassing 604 runs in 17 matches at an average exceeding 50 and a strike rate of 175.07. He also captained the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final in his debut season as skipper, marking the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2015.
Discussing Shreyas Iyer’s omission from the Asia Cup squad on his YouTube channel, De Villiers remarked: “Who knows what is going on behind closed doors. Maybe not even Shreyas knows. There might be a few things that have taken place over the years that’s determined why he is not the flavor of the month this tournament. I am not sure what the reason is because he will be in my team more often than not.”
De Villiers further added: “I just read through that squad and I was thinking where Shreyas Iyer can fit in. I’ve seen fans being upset about his exclusion and Shreyas will be the most upset because he’s played some really good cricket over the last few years. He has matured a lot and has shown a lot of leadership qualities.”
“Is He Draining the Team’s Energy?”– AB de Villiers Questions Star Player
AB de Villiers suggested that other less obvious factors might have influenced Shreyas Iyer’s omission from India’s Asia Cup squad. Although the 30-year-old is a regular in the ODI team, he hasn’t played a T20I since December 2023. In his 51 T20I matches, Shreyas Iyer has maintained a decent record, averaging 30.66 with a strike rate of 136.12.
“Back when I was captaining, if two players were 50-50, I’d pick the one who adds more off the field—uplifts the team, brings positive energy, or at least doesn’t drain it,” said De Villiers (via the aforementioned source).
He further added: “Maybe that’s part of it. I’m just guessing, but it’s strange that a quality player like him, with his leadership skills, isn’t in the squad. Perhaps too many leaders clash. Hopefully, the reason behind Shreyas missing out will come out one day.”
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