Asia Cup: De Villiers finds Iyer’s snub as ‘weird’; shares thoughts on ‘Bumrah’s workload management’

AB de Villiers is the latest to comment on Shreyas Iyer's situation in Indian Cricket. Not for the first and clearly not for the last has a star batter (in the Indian batting line-up) found himself in such a tight spot, with plenty having already gone through it. After failing to find a place in India’s potent 15-man squad for the 2025 Asia Cup, Iyer received massive support from social media users, former cricketers and even broadcasters, with ex-South Africa captain AB de Villiers being the latest to share his views on the same, calling this whole episode ‘weird’. He, however, also commented on all talks around Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management.

De Villiers was adamant on not finding any cricketing reason behind Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from the eight-team tournament, starting September 9 in the UAE.

Iyer led two different IPL teams to the final in successive years, even winning a title with one (KKR in 2024). With the bat in hand, he scored over 600 runs in the past season for the Punjab Kings, guiding them to only their second IPL final to date. Although he was also handy in helping India clinch its record third Champions Trophy title early this year, Iyer seemed to have failed to impress the selectors.

"It is tough, guys. I was just going through the squad. I was thinking, where can we fit Shreyas in? I think Shreyas will be the most upset because he's played some really good cricket over the last few years. He's matured a lot, he's shown a lot of leadership qualities. But who knows what is going on behind closed doors? Not me. Not you guys. Maybe not even Shreyas knows,” De Villiers said during a live chat on X.

"Sometimes, when it's a 50-50 call between two players, I would always lean towards the guy I feel offers more from a team perspective off the field. Does he add value in the team room? Does he uplift others, or does he drain energy? Maybe it's got something to do with that. I'm just honestly taking a complete guess,” he continued.

De Villiers on Bumrah

Bumrah was the talking point on India’s last Test tour of the UK, which ended with both teams sharing honours. The ace quick played just three matches on that tour, as also suggested by the NCA and team doctors to manage his workload better, returning with 14 wickets, including breaking several bowling records.

Considering his persistent back injuries, the management would be careful with his playing time in the 2025 Asia Cup, with De Villiers thinking on the same lines.

“Great to see him in the squad, fit and ready to go. I don’t think he will play all the games,” De Villiers said of Bumrah’s playing time in the UAE. “I saw reports saying he will be earmarked for the games that matter, and I love that about the selectors being proactive. That’s how you should be managing your senior and most impactful players.”

“It’s not like they are picking and choosing. There’s just so much cricket these days. For your older guys, their work has taken its toll over the years. Once you start managing these players, you will get the best out of them, and I love it that they’ve started doing that with Jasprit Bumrah,” he added.