Shreyas Iyer Asia Cup 2025 Snub: Politics Over Performance?

Why Shreyas Iyer Asia Cup 2025 Snub Feels Like Dirty Cricket Politics ?

The buzz around Shreyas Iyer Asia Cup 2025 has turned into one of the hottest debates in Indian cricket. Fans, experts, and even former players are asking the same question: How can one of India’s most consistent performers in 2025 be left out of the Asia Cup squad?

This blog will break it down his achievements, the politics, BCCI’s stance, and why this snub feels less like “team balance” and more like an eye-opener into cricket’s hidden power plays.

Check this Too – Deadliest Bowlers That Batsmen Feared Most!

Shreyas Iyer’s Record-Breaking 2025: A Year of Fireworks

Before we get into the politics, let’s not forget what Shreyas Iyer achieved in 2025:

Champions Trophy Heroics:
He was India’s top run-scorer with 243 runs at an average of nearly 49. Calm, composed, and impactful-including a match-winning knock in the finals. He even bagged the ICC Player of the Month in March.
IPL 2025 Masterclass:
Leading Punjab Kings, Iyer hammered 604 runs at a strike rate close to 175. Not just numbers, but impact knocks-like his unbeaten 87 off 41 balls in Qualifier 2. Under his captaincy, PBKS stormed into the finals, and he became the first cricketer to captain three different IPL franchises into playoffs/finals.
Consistency Over Doubts:
After injury struggles, he fought back, regained his BCCI central contract, and proved he still belongs to the elite group of Indian batters.

In short – Shreyas Iyer’s 2025 was the kind of year players dream of. Runs, records, and leadership.

And Yet, No Shreyas Iyer in Asia Cup 2025

Here’s where the drama starts. Despite everything, Shreyas Iyer Asia Cup 2025 selection never happened. He wasn’t in the main squad. He wasn’t even in the reserves list.

BCCI’s official explanation? “He’s too big a player to warm the bench.” Sounds respectful on the surface, but also a polite way of saying – we don’t want him.

Was It Really About Cricket… Or Politics?

This is where things get spicy.

Abhishek Nayar’s Hint: The ex-assistant coach openly said maybe “Shreyas Iyer isn’t liked as much” as some others. That one line set social media on fire.
Gambhir’s Influence? Gautam Gambhir, now head coach, is being accused of backing his “own boys” from KKR like Rinku Singh, while ignoring Iyer, who ironically was Gambhir’s own franchise captain earlier.
Former Players Speak Out: Dinesh Karthik called the exclusion “unfair,” while Sadagoppan Ramesh bluntly said Gambhir “backs players he likes.”
Family’s Pain: Even Iyer’s father expressed frustration, asking, “What more does he need to do to play T20s for India?”
Fans Explode: Social media is flooded with posts calling it “dirty politics” and a “shame on BCCI.”

Clearly, this wasn’t just about cricketing form.

What Does BCCI Really Want?

The BCCI’s selectors gave the classic safe answer: “Only 15 players can be picked.” But when you compare Iyer’s records to some who got in, the logic doesn’t hold.

Shreyas Iyer Asia Cup 2025: So what does the BCCI want from him? More sixes? More strike rate? Or just to quietly “wait his turn” until the system decides he’s worthy again?

BCCI’s Explanation – And Why It Falls Flat

Selectors claimed: “He’s too big a player to warm the bench.”

But this explanation doesn’t sit right:

If he’s too big to warm the bench, shouldn’t he be too big to leave out completely?
When underperforming names continue to get endless chances, why is Iyer being judged on double standards?
With his stats this year, how did he not even make the reserve list?

It leaves a bitter aftertaste that goes beyond cricketing logic.