Sourav Ganguly Shocked by Absence of ‘This’ Player in India’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad

Shreyas Iyer is arguably the most improved white-ball batter in the last 12-18 months. He has been in exceptional form in the calendar year, having scored the most runs (243) for India in Champions Trophy 2025 and sixth most runs (604) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Iyer was also outstanding in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), where he had racked up 345 (averaging 49.28) and 325 runs (averaging 325) respectively. 

Leading the sides, Iyer lifted the IPL and SMAT titles with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai in 2024 respectively. He then played a crucial part in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph and followed it up with captaining Punjab Kings to their first IPL playoffs and final in a decade, proving his mettle before the continental cup. However, despite his sensational performances, the Mumbaikar was left out of India’s Asia Cup 2025, leaving his fans and cricket experts stunned, including former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.

Sourav Ganguly Surprised with Shreyas Iyer’s Snub

The former BCCI President Ganguly asserted that Iyer could have been given a chance in the Asia Cup over Rinku Singh or Jitesh Sharma, noting how the 30-year-old had played some magnificent innings in the last couple of innings.

 “I am surprised not to see Iyer in the Asia Cup squad. Whenever I don’t see him in a white-ball squad, I am taken aback. He has played such brilliant innings in the IPL and has been a great captain,” Ganguly said while speaking to Anandabazar Patrika. “You cannot omit Iyer from white-ball teams. He deserves a spot ahead of Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. We have Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper, so why would we still not bring in Iyer?”

Notably, Rinku and Jitesh didn’t feature in India’s starting XI that took the field against minnows UAE in Dubai on September 10. As India played with three spinners and just one frontline pacer, the team management decided to play with an extra seam bowling option in Shivam Dube apart from Hardik Pandya, leaving no room for Rinku.

With Shubman Gill’s return, there were questions around Sanju Samson’s place in the playing XI. But the team management slotted the Kerala batter in the middle order, leaving out Jitesh Sharma, who is more reliable middle-order batter. Samson didn’t get a chance to bat in India’s campaign opener but did an excellent job as a keeper. He took two crucial catches and successfully guided the captain in a review, securing his place for the next game against arch-rivals Pakistan.

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Shreyas Iyer to lead India A against Australia A

Iyer had a miserable outing in the Duleep Trophy 2025 semi-final, where he faltered in both innings. Despite this, the BCCI have named him as the captain of India A’s squad that will lock horns with Australia A in Lucknow for the two four-day unofficial Test series. While Iyer has already impressed with his leadership skills in white-ball formats in domestic cricket, it remains vital to see how he will perform as the skipper on the international circuit. This becomes even more crucial considering a few reports claiming Iyer is the frontrunner for India’s ODI captaincy. 

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