Ravichandran Ashwin beats Gautam Gambhir to death over Shreyas Iyer-Yashasvi Jaiswal treatment

Former Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the squad for the Asia Cup 2025. Ashwin also stated that Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal are rare and added that they don’t play for themselves but play for the team.

The Asia Cup squad was revealed following a selection meeting that included T20I captain Suryakumar, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named among the standby players, while Shreyas Iyer was left out of both the main squad and the reserves.

Extremely Sad for Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin said that Shreyas Iyer played a crucial role in the Champions Trophy 2025 victory. Ashwin mentioned that Iyer led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to their first final since 2014. He added that Iyer handled top bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah with ease in the IPL.

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"Look at the credentials of Shreyas Iyer. He went out of the team. But came in the Champions Trophy and did amazing batting. He won and gave it to you. If the answer is that Shubman Gill is in blasting form, Shreyas Iyer is also in high-quality form," Ravichandran Ashwin said.

"He then took Punjab to the finals for the first time since 2014. He overcame the short-ball problem. He was hitting the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah with ease in the IPL. I am just extremely sad for him and Yashasvi Jaiswal," he added.

During IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer scored 604 runs in 17 matches at an average of 50.33 with a strike rate of 175.07, including six fifties and a top score of 97. However, he was left out of the Asia Cup squad. Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the 2024 IPL title before moving to Punjab Kings.

Players Like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal Are Rare - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin said that Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal are team players who prioritize the team over personal milestones. He added that they might need to focus more on their individual performances in the future to secure their place in the squad.

"Players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal are rare. These are the kind of players who don’t play for themselves, they play for the team, they look at the strike rate."

"But if I were Shreyas or Jaiswal, next time I wouldn’t take that kind of risk. I would play for myself & my records, because now I have to save my own spot in the team," Ashwin stated.

Easily the Most Successful Test Batter to Make a Debut for India - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin called Yashasvi Jaiswal one of the most successful recent Indian debutants. He also stated that Jaiswal has performed well across formats and wished him a chance in T20Is in the future.

“Jaiswal got a chance in Test cricket. He took it with both hands. Easily the most successful Test batter to make a debut for India in the recent past. He excelled in whichever format you gave him a chance."

"What can a guy do apart from excellence? He showed excellence, and now, in that spot, his chance is gone. What can he do now? Go back to the drawing board. I wish him well when he gets a chance in the future," Ashwin opined.

Ashwin on Jaiswal -

Just like him, my biggest fear now is that he will start thinking about his place the next time he gets a chance and won’t play the brand of cricket he plays. pic.twitter.com/fY0XxTFVtx

— Priyansh (@bhhupendrajogi) August 19, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal made his T20I debut for India against the West Indies in August 2023. He has scored 723 runs in 23 T20I matches at a strike rate of 164.31, including a century and five fifties. The southpaw last played a T20I match against Sri Lanka in July 2024.

Jaiswal has been a key performer for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The left-handed batter has scored 2,166 runs in 67 matches with 15 fifties and two hundreds. He was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction.

Jaiswal was a backup opener during the T20 World Cup 2025. However, he didn’t get a chance in the playing XI, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opened throughout the tournament.

Also read: Controversy at India’s Asia Cup squad reveal PC as BCCI blocks reporter’s Pakistan question