Ajinkya Rahane corners Ajit Agarkar with direct question on Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup snub
Published - 22 Aug 2025, 03:41 PM
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Ajinkya Rahane has joined the heated debate surrounding Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Ajinkya Rahane, who has seen Shreyas Iyer rise through the ranks from close quarters, admitted that the middle-order batter must have been feeling heartbroken after being ignored despite a blockbuster season.
Iyer smashed 604 runs in IPL 2025 at a stunning average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, and he was also the second leading run scorer for India during their triumphant ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in the UAE earlier this year.
Rahane breaks silence on Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup 2025 snub
He was also outstanding for Mumbai in domestic cricket across the formats last season. Despite his heroics with the bat, the right-handed batter was not named in either India’s 15-man squad or the standby players list for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
Read Also: Shreyas Iyer was going to be India's captain in the Asia Cup 2025
Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane felt sorry for Iyer but insisted that it must have been tough for the selectors to pick 15 players for the tournament.
Rahane said on his YouTube channel, "I'm sure he must be really disappointed considering the kind of IPL he had. It was a fantastic season. Even in domestic cricket, especially in the 50-over format, he has performed really well whenever given opportunities. I can completely understand the team management’s point of view, since they can only pick 15 players and need to see the balance of the team.”
Ajinkya Rahane demands clarity from India selectors over Shreyas Iyer's snub
However, Rahane demanded that the selectors provide Iyer clarity on where he stands in the T20 setup, as the silence could only add to the Mumbai batter’s frustration.
Actually, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that there was simply no space for Iyer in the current squad, but Rahane was not convinced and called for an explanation.
Rahane signed off by saying, “The only thing I want to see and I want to know is that there is proper communication from selectors and team management with Shreyas. He’s an important member of the team, and I’m sure in the coming years or in the future he’s going to be part of the T20 format as well. So, communication is the key from the selectors to Shreyas Iyer.”
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Gautam Gambhir accused of favouritism after Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup 2025 snub
Recently, the former Indian cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh has openly slammed the head coach Gautam Gambhir for “favoritism” for Iyer’s controversial omission. Iyer, who smashed over 600 runs and led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, seemed certain to secure a spot in the Asia Cup.
Ramesh accused Gambhir of backing only his favorites while sidelining others, no matter how well they perform, and claimed that the national selectors are heavily influenced by the head coach. He said on his YouTube channel, “He backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn’t.”
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