R Ashwin slams Shreyas Iyer's 'unfair' omission from Asia Cup squad
New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI): Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday expressed disappointment over Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from the Asia Cup squad, terming it "sad" and "unfair" while also questioning the logic behind leaving out opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The BCCI has named a 15-member India squad for the continental tournament beginning September 9 in the UAE.
"Selection is a thankless job. You have to let someone out. When you talk to them, you have to go through that sadness and disappointment in their faces. I hope, someone has talked to Shreyas and Jaiswal," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.
While Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024, was left out, young opener Jaiswal too did not make the cut.
"When you have Jaiswal as your third opener, you have brought Shubman Gill in the team by removing a person from the World Cup winning squad. I mean, I am happy for Shubman but I am very, very sad for both Shreyas and Jaiswal. It's just not fair on both," Ashwin said.
Highlighting Iyer's track record, Ashwin said: "Look at the credentials of Shreyas Iyer. He went out of the team. But came in the Champions Trophy and did amazing batting. He won and gave it to you.
"If the answer is that Shubman Gill is in blasting form, Shreyas Iyer is also in high-quality form. Jaiswal's innings on a tricky pitch in the last game in the Oval... he is also in cracking form. So, how can you give an answer for this?
"What Shreyas has done wrong... he did brilliantly well for KKR, made them win. He was sent into the auction. He then took Punjab to the finals for the first time since 2014. He overcame the short ball problem. He was hitting the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah with ease in the IPL. I am just extremely sad for him and Yashasvi Jaiswal; it is extremely unfair."
Iyer, who has played 51 T20Is for India, has scored 1104 runs at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12. His last appearance in the format came against Australia in December 2023.
The Mumbai batter also has a strong leadership record in the IPL, guiding Delhi Capitals to the playoffs in 2019 and to their maiden final in 2020, before steering KKR to the title last year.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar too criticised the selectors' decision, suggesting it signals Iyer is no longer in the reckoning for T20 cricket.
"I can't fathom or understand what reason could justify Shreyas Iyer not being part of the 20-member squad," Nayar told JioHotstar.
"I'm not even talking about the final 15, but the 20 itself, which sends a clear message, that Shreyas Iyer is not in the selectors' scheme of things, at least from a T20 perspective."
Gill's elevation as vice-captain, Nayar felt, points towards a long-term leadership role.
"This squad announcement sort of tells you the mindset of the selectors. With selection of Shubman, in time, he is going to be an all-format captain, and that's where they are sort of positioning him.
"Great pick, terrific player. I'm sure he's going to follow the mindset of being attacking, having that approach. And I feel it's going to be a very, very interesting next 12 months in Shubman Gill's life."
The selectors also named pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the squad despite recent concerns over his workload, especially with a home series against the West Indies starting in the first week of October.
"We all need to understand that Bumrah is a prized asset. He is the difference between winning and not winning a championship, and that must be respected," Nayar said.
"His workload and his body must be respected, because when you don't have him in crucial matches, the impact is massive. Whatever the plan is, no one knows it better than Bumrah himself. He'll be the best judge of what his body can handle and can communicate that with the selectors and team management.
"Knowing him and having spent time with him, I can tell you nothing matters more to him than performing well and winning championships for India."
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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
