Former cricketer Manoj Tiwary has sharply criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir over the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad. Speaking to ANI, Tiwary expressed surprise and disappointment, emphasizing that both Jaiswal and Iyer deserved places in the squad, and questioned Gambhir’s decision to leave them out.

Gambhir’s Previous Praise for Jaiswal

Tiwary specifically pointed to Gambhir’s past praise for Jaiswal, recalling a time when the former cricketer had called the young batter an “all-format player” and said that “we cannot think of keeping him out of T20.” The current decision to exclude Jaiswal, who is instead placed in the reserves alongside other players like Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag, has raised eyebrows. Tiwary further questioned how Gambhir, as coach, could now overlook Jaiswal’s potential.

Tiwary also expressed concern over the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, who had an impressive record in the last year. He remarked, “Shreyas Iyer’s performance is the best if you look at the last year… It’s eye-opening that he didn’t get a place in the T20 squad.”

Selection Justification

The BCCI’s selection committee, led by Chairman Ajit Agarkar, defended the exclusion of both players, explaining that the decision was influenced by the abundance of talent in the T20 format. Despite this, Tiwary has called for greater transparency in the selection process, suggesting that it should be made public to help fans understand the rationale behind these decisions.

Jaiswal and Iyer’s Current Status

While Jaiswal is in the reserves for the Asia Cup, Iyer has been completely overlooked. The exclusion of Iyer, in particular, has fueled speculation about his future role in the ODI team, with rumors suggesting that he might be positioned as India’s next ODI captain following the tournament. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia downplayed these rumors, adding fuel to the ongoing debate over the selections.

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