Shreyas Iyer will be a part of India's T20 World Cup team: Aakash Chopra

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the BCCI about excluding Shreyas Iyer from the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 tournament. The Men in Blue squad was announced by BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar on August 19 in Mumbai in a press conference.

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Shreyas Iyer was a notable exclusion from the Indian squad despite his 604 runs in the IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings. His strike rate was 175.07, and he made six fifties with a highest score of 97*. He was also part of India’s 2025 ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad.

The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

Shreyas couldn't have done more to earn a spot, according to former India opener Aakash Chopra, who also predicted that if the Mumbaikar keeps up his strong ODI play, he will be selected for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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"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.

This is the Asia Cup team. Don't associate 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," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

According to Chopra, Shreyas is currently receiving somewhat unfair treatment. He stated that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain might still have been included in the squad even though there was no open spot at No. 3 or No. 4 in the starting lineup.

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Surprised that Shreyas Iyer was not chosen in reserves as well: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra also expressed surprise that Shreyas Iyer was not part of the reserve players named by BCCI for the Asia Cup 2025. Prasidh Krishna, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel were named as backup players for the continental tournament.

"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.

“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 concluded.

In 47 T20I innings, Shreyas has amassed 1,104 runs with a strike rate of 136.12. But since December 2023, he hasn't participated in a T20I.

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