India's Asia Cup 2025 Squad: Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar came up with an interesting take on the team's Asia Cup 2025 squad, which was announced by the chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

Nayar reacted to the absence of Shreyas Iyer in the 15-member squad and said that the star batter might not be liked as some of the other players in the team, and hence has been snubbed altogether.

Test captain Shubman Gill was appointed India's T20 vice-captain on Tuesday for next month’s Asia Cup, whereas senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be there to bolster the side’s bowling attack. However, Iyer was not even kept in the standbys because of a problem of plenty.

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Iyer was seen as India’s long-term No. 3 in the format by many, after scoring 604 runs in IPL 2025 at a stunning average of 50.33. "I wanted to ask him (Agarkar) how he (Iyer) is not among the reserve players, if he is such a strong contender? Sometimes the selection meetings and the discussions that happen can be quite interesting, but I can’t fathom, I can’t understand," Nayar said while speaking on Star Sports.

"It sort of tells and sends a message to Shreyas Iyer that you aren’t in our 20-man scheme of things, because even if things do not work out, you aren’t going to be in the team," Nayar added.

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"(In that case) either Riyan Parag will come or someone else. The big question here is whether they are looking at him from a T20 point of view. I always say this, selection, after a while, becomes about who you like a little more than the other. Maybe Shreyas Iyer isn’t as liked as someone else is," Nayar said.

The 30-year-old Iyer has scored 1104 runs in 47 T20Is, at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12. He last played a T20I against Australia at Bengaluru in December 2023.

With an aim to defend their Asia Cup title, India will kick off their campaign on September with the group A match against the hosts UAE. Their much-awaited clash against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14 in the UAE.