 "Did Gambhir have a hand in Iyer’s absence from Asia Cup squad: 'Someone younger easier to manage…’")
Shreyas Iyer’s absence was one of the key talking points after India's 15-man squad for the upcoming Asia Cup was unveiled by captain Suryakumar Yadav and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai earlier this month. And according to ex-England spinner Monty Panesar, Iyer’s absence from the Asia Cup squad despite his brilliant run with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League earlier this year might have something to do with India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
According to Panesar, a younger player would be easier for Gambhir to manage rather than 30-year-old Iyer, who was seen as a potential successor to Rohit Sharma as captain, at least in the white-ball formats.
“One of the reasons Shreyas Iyer is probably struggling to get into the Indian squad is because he brings those leadership skills and, at the moment, possibly they’ve got that covered,” former left-arm spinner Panesar told India Today.
“It gives them an opportunity to bring in someone younger, a bit more exciting to play, who would be easier to manage for coach Gautam Gambhir,” added the 43-year-old, who was one of the key architects of England’s historic Test series victory in their 2012-13 tour of India.
While Iyer was overlooked for the continental tournament, India Test skipper Shubman Gill was elevated to the post of T20I vice-captain , with Suryakumar Yadav continuing to lead the Men in Blue in the shortest format.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsGill replaced spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel , who had been named Surya’s deputy for the five-match series against England at home earlier this year, in the role and is widely expected to succeed the Mumbai Indians star as India’s captain in 20-over cricket besides the five-day format.
Why Iyer’s absence from the Asia Cup squad comes as a major shock
Iyer has been among the more successful leaders in the IPL in recent times, leading three different franchises to the final and winning the title with one of them. The Mumbai batter led Delhi Capitals to their maiden final in 2020 and helped Kolkata Knight Riders win their third title last year.
And in his maiden season with Punjab Kings earlier this year, Iyer helped IPL’s ‘perennial underachievers’ reach the playoffs for the first time since their runner-up finish in 2014. The Kings would then reach the final after beating Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 before suffering a narrow loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final to miss out on their maiden title by a whisker.
It wasn’t just his leadership that stood out this year – Iyer had crossed the 600-run mark for the first time since he made his IPL debut in 2014, finishing with 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
Iyer had also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy before the IPL, finishing as their highest run-scorer and the second-highest overall with 243 runs in five outings at an average of 48.60 in what was a relatively low-scoring tournament for the Men in Blue.
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