New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik has been left baffled by Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India's squad for next month's Asia Cup and classified it as 'unfair'.

Shreyas relished a bumper season in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Punjab Kings captain. He led with his prolific form with the bat and his sharp tactical ploy. He led Punjab to its first final since 2014, but agonisingly fell short in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained Shreyas' absence during the squad announcement and told reporters earlier this week, 'With regards to Shreyas, it's not his fault, nor is it ours. It's just that you can pick 15, and at the moment you'll have to wait for his chance.'

Agarkar's clarification didn't satiate the outrage of fans and former cricketers. Karthik became the latest to voice his surprise about the 30-year-old's axing from the Asia Cup squad. He could digest Shreyas' absence from the 15-player squad, but couldn't fathom how the flamboyant star missed out on a place in the reserves.

'Where is Shreyas Iyer? That's the big question, isn't it? How could he miss out? To a point, it's understandable. He wasn't part of the 15, considering how well Team India has done. 17 out of the last 20, they have won, so okay, continuity, fair. But not making him part of the other five players, which you have earmarked for the near future, with the T20 World Cup in mind?' Karthik said in a video posted on Instagram.

'Closing doors on him? That's a bit unfair, and I hope it doesn't happen because he has done outstandingly well as a leader, but even better as a batter under pressure,' he added.

Shreyas was India's backbone and the beacon of hope in the title-winning run in the Champions Trophy. He was the highest run-getter for the nation and the overall second-highest in the scoring charts in the tournament.

He garnered 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, with two fifties and a best score of 79. He concluded his run in IPL 2025 as the sixth-highest run-getter, after garnering 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, at a strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*.

Team India squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Reserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal. (ANI)