Asia Cup | 'He backs players he likes': Gautam Gambhir questioned over Shreyas Iyer snub

NEW DELHI: Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh has alleged that head coach Gautam Gambhir did not support Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the Asia Cup squad, despite the batter’s outstanding form in recent tournaments. His remarks come amid ongoing criticism of BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar over Iyer’s omission from the squad for the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on September 9 in the UAE.Iyer has been in prolific touch this season, amassing 604 runs in the 2025 IPL at a strike rate of 174, along with more than 300 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at a strike rate of 188. Yet, he failed to find a place in India’s 15-member Asia Cup squad.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ramesh also questioned the narrative around India’s recent 2-2 Test series draw in England, led by Shubman Gill in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma."He backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn't. Winning consistently abroad had started long back under Kohli and Shastri. But now, just the drawn series in England is being projected as a big achievement in Gambhir's track record," Ramesh said.He pointed out Iyer’s crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, where he was India’s top scorer with 243 runs—second overall behind New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra (263)."Gambhir's biggest achievement remains the Champions Trophy triumph, and Iyer was the biggest reason for that success. Yet, Gambhir is not backing him. Someone like Jaiswal, who is an X-factor player, must play all formats. Keeping him in standby is a poor move," Ramesh added.The former opener stressed that Iyer’s form and confidence made him indispensable to India’s white-ball setup."Shreyas Iyer produced incredible performances in the same UAE during the Champions Trophy and should be a permanent fixture in India's white-ball teams. Players must be backed when they are high on confidence and in form, not when they fade away. This is the ideal time to reap the rewards of Iyer's sky-high confidence."