Shreyas Iyer has been left out of India’s squad for the Asia Cup in the UAE, the tournament that will mark the start of preparations for the men’s T20 World Cup in February 2026. India opens its campaign on September 10, a day after the tournament begins.
Chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, said: “It’s no fault of his (Shreyas). Got to tell me who he can replace? At the moment, will have to wait for his chance.”
The omission comes as a surprise given Iyer’s sparkling T20 record over the past two seasons. He lit up IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings, scoring over 600 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 — the third-best for a batter with 600-plus runs in a single season, behind only Chris Gayle (2011) and Suryakumar Yadav (2023). His dominance against spin in particular has made him one of the most attractive middle-order options in the format.
Check out the full squad here – India team for Asia Cup
Iyer has also enjoyed a golden run in domestic and franchise cricket. In the past two years, he has led Kolkata Knight Riders to its first IPL title in a decade (2024), captained Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and guided SoBo Mumbai Falcons to the final of the Mumbai T20 League. He also helmed the Punjab Kings side that reached the IPL 2025 final.
His success has not been confined to white-ball cricket: he was part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph in 2023-24, followed by an Irani Cup victory, and played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy win earlier this year.
Iyer’s last T20I innings was a match-winning knock in Bengaluru against Australia, where he scored a critical 53 in trying conditions.
