Aakash Chopra believes Shreyas Iyer deserves an Asia Cup recall after shining in the Champions Trophy and IPL 2025.
Shreyas Iyer last featured in a T20I on December 3, 2023, against Australia in Bengaluru, where he struck 53 runs from 37 deliveries at No. 3. Since then, he has not returned to the shortest format, but his performances in 2025 have reignited calls for his selection.
Iyer finished as India’s leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy 2025, showcasing consistency in the middle order. His form extended into the IPL, where he produced his best-ever season. Representing Punjab Kings, he amassed 604 runs across 17 matches after being signed for ₹26.75 crore in the mega auction.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has strongly backed Iyer’s return, crediting him as India’s most effective batter in the middle overs during the Champions Trophy.
“Shreyas Iyer needs to be spoken about because when we were watching the Champions Trophy, no Indian player was better than him in the middle overs. He was the guy who was taking the attack to the opposition. He was the guy who was hitting boundaries whenever he wished and removing the pressure on the batter at the other end,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“After that came the IPL. There were plenty of pressures. This was Shreyas Iyer’s best-ever IPL season. We have repeatedly seen that T20 selections are based on IPL performances. We have seen that with Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and everyone. If we see it from that token, Shreyas Iyer deserves to play,” he added.
Iyer Faces Competition With Tilak Varma
Meanwhile, Tilak Varma has cemented his place at No. 3 and No. 4 with consistent performances, including two T20I centuries against South Africa last year. Chopra believes Iyer’s strongest role is also in the top order, but those positions already look settled with Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4.
“We have built a case that Shreyas’ name should be there, but the truth is that Tilak Varma is playing either at No. 3 or No. 4. Since he started playing at No. 3, he has been unstoppable. Since he bats lower down the order in the IPL, it’s an apple vs orange comparison. If you see his numbers, you feel the guy hasn’t done anything wrong,” he said.
READ ALSO | ‘Don’t make him wait’: Kris Srikkanth backs teenage star Vaibhav Suryavanshi for Asia Cup 2025
“He (Tilak) also allows us one more thing. You can maintain a left-right combination. Will you drop Tilak Varma from the XI because I believe Shreyas Iyer’s best place to bat is either No. 3 or No. 4? If he goes to No. 5, I think it will be a little too low in T20 cricket, and Surya is at No. 4,” the former cricketer concluded.
Dafabet
- Maximum Cricket Cashback 10%
- India Super League Cashback
- Common wallet 100% deposit bonus up to ₹8,000 !
Last Updated on August 18, 2025
Senior Sports Copywriter
