Mohammad Kaif, a former cricketer, voiced his disagreement with the Indian selectors’ choice to exclude Shreyas Iyer from the 15-man squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Iyer’s omission, especially following his strong performance as captain for Punjab Kings in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), has drawn criticism from both fans and other former players.
Ajit Agarkar, the head selector for India, addressed Iyer’s absence when the squad was announced. He told reporters that the decision wasn’t about fault but rather the limitation of a 15-player roster.
Many people have spoken out in support of Iyer, arguing for his inclusion in the competition for various reasons. Kaif is now among those who question the decision, admitting he finds it hard to understand why Iyer was left out.
Kaif commented on his YouTube channel that he understood the difficulty of fitting Iyer into a limited squad. Still, he also noted that Iyer wasn’t even named as a standby player.
Kaif was particularly puzzled by Jurel’s inclusion in the reserves, with Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma already filling the wicketkeeper roles.
Kaif suggested that if selectors favored Iyer, he should have been a standby player, ready to step in if someone got injured.
Kaif believes it’s a mistake to leave Iyer out of the Asia Cup, suggesting he should definitely have been on the standby list. He also questioned the choice of Jurel over Iyer, with Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson already in the squad, and Parag on the standby list.
Iyer was India’s highest run-scorer and the second-highest overall in the CT 2025, with 243 runs in five matches, averaging 48.60, including two fifties and a top score of 79.
In the 2025 IPL, he scored 604 runs in 17 matches, averaging 50.33, with a strike rate of 175.07, including six fifties and a highest score of 97*.
The selection of Rinku Singh also surprised some. Despite a modest IPL season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Singh remained in consideration. Kaif believes Singh’s bowling in the UP T20 League may have influenced the selectors.
Kaif stated that Rinku Singh’s selection might be due to his bowling in the UPT20 League. Since Washington Sundar isn’t in the 15-member squad, Rinku Singh could potentially bowl a few overs on the pitches in the UAE.
India will start their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on September 14, both in Dubai. Their final group stage match is against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
The Indian squad for the Asia Cup includes Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.
The reserve players are Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.