Former India cricketer Surinder Khanna has expressed disappointment over the omission of Shreyas Iyer from India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, while backing vice-captain Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I set-up.
The 15-member squad, announced by skipper Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai on Tuesday, included a blend of youth, spinners, seamers and all-rounders. Gill returned after being rested from T20Is for over a year, but Iyer’s absence raised questions.
“There is one player whom I feel sorry for, Shreyas Iyer. What else does he have to do? He is a good fielder and a good cricketing brain. His performance in T20 is excellent. When he is in form, he should get a chance,” Khanna told ANI.
Iyer was among the top performers in the 2025 Indian Premier League, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, guiding Punjab Kings to their first final since 2014. He also scored heavily in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and had a strong run in India colours, with 949 runs in 26 matches since the 2024 T20 World Cup win.
Khanna, however, welcomed Gill’s inclusion as vice-captain, saying his natural stroke play suits the T20 format. “You do not have to build up any innings in T20. Gill clears the boundary with a lot of ease. He is good enough for any format, and when your confidence is high, you play more openly,” he said.
Gill last featured in a T20I in July 2024 and led India’s second-string side on the Zimbabwe tour after the World Cup. He has scored 578 runs in 21 T20Is at an average of 30.42, including a century. In IPL 2025, he struck 650 runs for Gujarat Titans at a strike rate of 155.87.
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against UAE on September 10, followed by a clash with Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. Their last group match will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. The Super 4 stage is scheduled for September 20–26, with the final on September 28 in Dubai.
India squad: Suryakumar 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.
Reserves: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
