"Would’ve included Iyer, Siraj…" - Ex-BCCI selector gives Ajit Agarkar belt treatment over Asia Cup squad selection blunder

Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has launched a scathing attack on Ajit Agarkar and his selection panel after the announcement of India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. MSK Prasad also reacted strongly to the omission of Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj.

Despite the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) giving all teams the green signal to pick 17 players and eight support staff in its guidelines for the tournament, the Ajit Agarkar-headed Indian selection committee surprised everyone by sticking to just 15 cricketers, leaving out some in-form players like Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

MSK Prasad slams Ajit Agarkar and his selection panel over shock Asia Cup 2025 omissions

Agarkar had defended the omissions by saying that only 15 could be picked, and balance was the priority. The chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, also highlighted that Abhishek Sharma’s all-round skills gave the team extra depth, pushing Jaiswal out of contention, while Iyer was simply a victim of numbers.

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But Prasad was not convinced by Ajit Agarkar’s explanation. The former Indian chief selector has openly questioned the current selection panel’s decision while pointing out that Siraj should have walked straight into the squad unless workload management was the reason.

MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “My issue is not just about Iyer, but Mohammed Siraj too. Unless he has been rested as part of workload management, he should have been in the squad. He was the Player of the Match in the last Asia Cup (50-over) final.”

MSK Prasad questions India’s trimmed Asia Cup 2025 squad

Prasad also believes that Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal should have also been part of the Asia Cup 2025 squad, especially when there was clearly space to accommodate them. Notably, Pakistan and Hong Kong have announced 17-member squads, but India decided to face unnecessary backlash instead of presenting a stronger bench in the continental tournament.

The former Indian chief selector further explained, “When they had the option of taking 17, they could have gone with the full strength. I would have included two of the three—Iyer, Siraj, and Jaiswal. That said, I can also understand why they may have avoided picking 17. Having too many players on the bench puts pressure on the XI.”

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Asia Cup allows 17-member squads, but India confident with 15

Meanwhile, the Asia Cup guidelines stated, “Each squad will comprise seventeen (17) players and eight (8) team officials. The touring squad from any participating country will therefore comprise twenty-five (25) individuals."

However, a BCCI source explained that the selectors and Ajit Agarkar thought the team was already well-balanced, so they didn’t see the need to add two extra players to the squad, as per Cricbuzz.

Team India may play the Asia Cup 2025 without a jersey sponsor

On the other hand, India’s Asia Cup campaign has been rocked by the government’s ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill’ rule, as the Men in Blue may walk onto the field without a sponsor’s logo on their jersey. The BCCI will now have to find a new sponsor.

The new bill bans all online fantasy sports and gambling platforms, directly affecting India’s lead sponsor deal with Dream11. They had signed a three-year agreement in 2023. This unexpected move has left the BCCI to face huge losses, as the sponsorship logos are not just about brand visibility, but they also bring in huge revenue that helps power Indian cricket.