Maninder Singh, a former India spinner, expressed astonishment when Shreyas Iyer was not named to India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad. The 60-year-old couldn’t understand why the Mumbai hitter was occasionally dropped by the Indian team.
Shreyas had a tremendous Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, finishing among the tournament’s top run scorers and leading Punjab Kings to the final for the first time since 2014. Many people thought Shreyas should have been included in India’s squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. However, he did not receive the long-awaited Test recall.
Fans and experts, however, expected Shreyas Iyer to return to international competition during the Asia Cup.
Maninder believes Shreyas’ aggressive demeanour may be hindering his selection to the Indian team. However, the former cricketer stated that his aggression helps him win matches on his own and that as long as it does not manifest itself in negative behaviour, there should be no problem.
“I’m very surprised. I really don’t know why he keeps getting dropped every time. I can understand, and people have told me that he’s a little aggressive. But that’s what makes him the player he is. That aggression helps him win matches on his own,” Maninder Singh told India Today.
“If someone’s aggressive on the field, that doesn’t mean it’s a problem – especially if it’s not translating into bad behaviour. He might not be saying hello to you every time he sees you. But maybe he’s just in his own zone, focused on the game, thinking about how to perform in different situations. That’s part of being a top athlete. I said this about 6-7 years ago that he should be the next captain of India. I just love the way he plays cricket,” he added.
It is interesting to note that Shreyas hasn’t even been named among the reserve players for India in the Asia Cup.
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