Fans and experts are confused over why Shreyas Iyer wasn’t picked for India’s team for the 2025 Asia Cup. Now, cricket icon AB de Villiers has given a probable reason. The former South African star said in a video on his YouTube channel that the choice may have been based on “off-field” considerations rather than how he played on the field.
Iyer had a great season in the 2025 IPL. He scored more than 600 runs with a strike rate of more than 175 and led the Punjab Kings to the final. But the selectors, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, said there was just “no space” for him on the team.
De Villiers thought that when selectors have to choose between two players who are “50-50,” they typically look at what a player does off the field. He thought that a player’s enthusiasm, charisma, and chance of a “clash” in the locker room may all play a role in the choice. “Perhaps even Shreyas doesn’t know,” de Villiers added. “But there may have been some things that happened over the years that made it not the flavor of the month for a certain tournament.”
He also asked if there were “too many leaders” on the team, which made me think that Iyer’s leadership skills could have been perceived as a possible “clash.” But De Villiers made it clear that this was simply his “best guess” and that the real cause might never come out. “Maybe one day the truth will come out and we’ll know exactly why Shreyas is having trouble getting into Team India,” he said.