Unbelievable! Shreyas Iyer & Jaiswal Ignored for Asia Cup – Basit Ali Calls Out BCCI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-player squad for the Asia Cup 2025 on Tuesday, naming Suryakumar Yadav as captain with Shubman Gill as vice-captain. While the squad looks balanced and explosive, the absence of two big names—Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal—has left fans and cricket experts stunned.
Both Iyer and Jaiswal had a fantastic IPL 2025 season, with Iyer scoring a remarkable 604 runs for Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 175, while Jaiswal continued his aggressive batting for Rajasthan Royals. Many believed they had sealed their spots in India’s Asia Cup campaign, but the selectors thought otherwise.
Basit Ali Slams BCCI Over Iyer & Jaiswal Snub
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali expressed his shock over the decision while speaking on Kamran Akmal’s YouTube show Gameplan. He did not hold back, saying:
“Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami agar Pakistan mein hote na ye log A category mey hote (These players would have been in Pakistan’s A category).”
Basit further added that Iyer’s omission was particularly unfair:
“Iyer ke saad jyadati ho gayi hai. Unko team mey hona chahiye (It was unfortunate that Shreyas Iyer has not been picked).”
Team India Still Strong Favorites
Despite the criticism, Basit also backed India’s squad for the Asia Cup, claiming that only Sri Lanka might come close to challenging them. With the tournament set to begin on September 9, India looks strong on paper, but fans will keep questioning why in-form players like Iyer and Jaiswal were left out.
Interestingly, Jaiswal has at least been named among the travelling reserves, while Iyer has not even found a place in the five backup players. This raises eyebrows, especially considering reports that suggest Iyer is being considered as a future ODI captain after Rohit Sharma. His exclusion from the T20 setup only deepens the mystery.
Agarkar Defends Selection
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the controversy, saying that India’s current T20 squad is extremely competitive, and it’s difficult to accommodate everyone. With players like Rinku Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Tilak Varma also pushing for spots, the competition remains fierce.
But for now, the snub of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal has become one of the biggest talking points ahead of the Asia Cup 2025.
