AB de Villiers Reacts to Shreyas Iyer’s Omission from India’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad: Shreyas Iyer’s absence from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad has set off a storm on social media, with fans and even cricket experts questioning the selectors’ decision.
sHREYAS Iyer has been in fine form in T20 cricket, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title in 2024 and taking Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final earlier this year, where they fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Now, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has weighed in, saying the decision to leave Iyer out seems puzzling.
“Who Knows What’s Going On Behind Closed Doors”
Sharing his thoughts during a live chat on X (formerly Twitter), AB de Villiers said he was surprised by the omission and suggested that the reasoning might go beyond on-field performances.
“It is tough, guys. I was just going through the squad. I was thinking, where can we fit Shreyas in, because I’ve seen all the headlines and some fans being upset. I think Shreyas will be the most upset because he’s played some really good cricket over the last few years. He’s matured a lot. He has shown a lot of leadership qualities, but who knows what is going on behind closed doors? No one. Not me. Not you guys,” AB de Villiers said.
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Selection Decisions Aren’t Always Just About Runs
Drawing from his own captaincy days, AB de Villiers explained how selection calls often go beyond just statistics.
“Maybe not even Shreyas knows. But there might be a few things that have taken place over the years that have determined why he’s not the flavour of the month for a certain tournament. He’s a quality player. He’ll be in my team more often than not. But sometimes, and I’m not talking about Shreyas now, but sometimes, thinking about when I was captaining, if there’s a 50-50 call between two players, I would always lean towards the guy that I feel offers more from a team perspective off the field,” he added.
“Does He Add Energy or Drain It?”
AB de Villiers went further, saying that in tight calls, factors like attitude and impact on the dressing room become important.
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“When it’s 50-50 on the field, you have to start looking at other areas, like does he add value in the team room? Does he have a smile on his face? Does he uplift some of the other players around him? Or is he sort of draining energy from the squad? Maybe it has something to do with that. I’m just honestly taking a complete guess. Of course, it is weird to me, a quality player like that, not making the starting squad for Team India, especially with the leadership qualities he’s bringing. Maybe it will be too much of a clash with him there,” said de Villiers.
Too Many Leaders in the Mix?
The former South Africa skipper also hinted that Iyer’s strong leadership record in the IPL could have been a factor, possibly leading to concerns about having “too many captains” in the Indian squad.
“Maybe there are too many leaders there, too many captains. I have no idea, to be honest. I was just trying to explain to you what I would think. If there’s a 50-50 call, you would always lean towards the guy that you feel will bring the best out in other players,” AB de Villiers explained.
“The Truth Will Come Out One Day”
While AB de Villiers admitted he doesn’t know the exact reason behind Iyer’s exclusion, he believes the real explanation will be revealed eventually.
“So, a team player kind of call. That’s my best guess. I’m not saying it’s true. Make up your own mind. Actually, ask more questions about it and let me know what you think. Maybe the truth will come out one day, and we’ll know exactly why Shreyas is struggling to get into Team India starting line-ups or squads at least,” he concluded.
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