R Ashwin questions Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from Asia Cup squad

NEW DELHI: Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday raised his concern about the omission of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from India’s Asia Cup squad.

The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, which was held after a selection meeting which also featured the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia on Tuesday.

“Selection is a thankless job. You have to let someone out. When you talk to them, you have to go through that sadness and disappointment in their faces. I hope someone has talked to Shreyas and Jaiswal,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and had his best season, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*. Despite a great IPL season, he missed out on finding a spot in the squad.

“Look at the credentials of Shreyas Iyer. He went out of the team. But came in the Champions Trophy and did amazing batting. He won and gave it to you. If the answer is that Shubman Gill is in blasting form, Shreyas Iyer is also in high-quality form,” he added.

Iyer took the Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL trophy in 2024, after which he was released by the franchise and was picked by the Punjab Kings. He took Punjab to IPL final after 11 years.

“He then took Punjab to the finals for the first time since 2014. He overcame the short ball problem. He was hitting the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah with ease in the IPL. I am just extremely sad for him and Yashasvi Jaiswal,” Ashwin said.

Jaiswal was the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the T20 World Cup last year. He was the backup as India wanted to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Having made 723 runs in 23 T20Is with a century and five fifties at a strike rate of over 164 throughout his career, Jaiswal’s 559-run IPL 2025 season (in 14 matches with six fifties at SR of almost 160) brought back the leftie into T20I conversations. Jaiswal has been named in the reserve players for the Asia Cup.

“Jaiswal’s innings on a tricky pitch in the last game at the Oval, he is also in cracking form. So, how can you give an answer to this? Shreyas has done wrong, but he did brilliantly well for KKR, making them win. He was sent into the auction,” he added.

India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. India will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. (ANI)