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Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star S. Badrinath has leveled a serious accusation against the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, claiming that a 'likeability factor' was behind Shreyas Iyer's shocking exclusion from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Badrinath didn't mince words, calling Agarkar's statement that Iyer was 'unlucky' a 'convenient route' to justify a massive and controversial decision.
Shreyas Iyer definitely deserved to get selected: S Badrinath
The omission is particularly baffling given Iyer's stellar performance in the IPL 2025, where he captained the Punjab Kings to the final while also scoring an impressive 604 runs at a staggering strike rate of over 175. However, when questioned, Agarkar stated that the selectors simply couldn't find a spot for the Mumbai batter in the initial 15-member squad. He insisted that the decision was a result of a highly competitive pool of talent and was neither the fault of the selectors nor the player himself.
“He definitely deserved to get selected. Ajit Agarkar said he was unlucky but that’s just a convenient route. Iyer has produced excellent numbers over the last two years and done brilliantly as a captain as well. Instead, they picked Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh for the No. 5 position. In the last one year, both have done virtually nothing, with poor numbers," Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“This is not even a 50-50 decision. Shreyas Iyer should have definitely got a look-in. One can say he has batted at No. 3 for his IPL side. But he can easily play at No. 5 for India being an excellent player of spin and a great finisher. Especially now, without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, his (Shreyas) experience and leadership is much needed in the team. More than unlucky, this feels like a likeability factor playing a role in selection," he added.
Badrinath also expressed his surprise at Yashasvi Jaiswal's snub from India's Asia Cup squad. Badrinath feels Jaiswal has outperformed Shubman Gill and was more deserving of a spot in the India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 which is set to get underway from September 9.
The BCCI selection committee ultimately opted for Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Shubman Gill as the three opening options for the Asia Cup. This decision has sparked debate among cricket experts and fans, with many questioning why Jaiswal, a player known for his aggressive style and recent success, was left out in favor of other choices.
Despite being one of the most explosive batters since his international debut, Jaiswal was a surprising omission from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Jaiswal, who also served as the backup opener for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, has a strong record, with 723 runs at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31 in T20Is. His recent performances in the IPL have also been consistently impressive, making his snub a tough one to understand for many fans and experts.
"I see this mostly as a positive that they are backing a youngster and projecting him for the future. But what about Yashasvi Jaiswal? He has done even better than Shubman Gill. Also, why has Sai Sudharsan missed out after scoring 700 runs in IPL 2025 and performing better than Shubman Gill? Sanju Samson himself is now in doubt to start in the playing 11," the 44-year-old further stated.
"Shubman Gill hasn't even been consistently in the T20 setup over the last 2-3 years. Yet, he has been made the vice-captain of this particular side. It is clear the influence of his excellent captaincy and performance in the England series despite that being Test cricket. So he is definitely going to open the batting with Abhishek Sharma," Badrinath concluded.
India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025:
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, Rinku Singh
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel
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