List of top five players missing Asia Cup 2025
Asia Cup 2025 to begin from tomorrow in Dubai
The Asia Cup 2025 will run form September 9 to 28
The stage is set in the United Arab Emirates for the 17th edition of the Asia Cup, where eight of the continent’s finest cricketing nations will lock horns in the shortest format from September 9 to 28.
Organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), this year’s tournament marks the biggest Asia Cup in history, featuring heavyweights India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan alongside rising challengers Hong Kong, Oman and hosts UAE, all vying for regional supremacy in T20I cricket.
The Asia Cup 2025, being staged in the UAE, brings together the cricketing heavyweights of the continent in a high-stakes battle ahead of the T20 World Cup. While fans are excited to watch emerging stars and established performers, the tournament has also sprung surprises with some of the biggest names in Asian cricket missing out.
Here’s a look at five active players who are not part of the squads for this year’s edition.
Shreyas Iyer (India)
Fresh off a stellar IPL 2025 season where he scored over 600 runs, Shreyas Iyer was surprisingly ignored for the Asia Cup squad. Despite his ability to anchor innings and accelerate when required, India’s selectors preferred other middle-order options. His exclusion has been one of the most debated decisions, given his proven form and experience.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
One of Pakistan’s modern greats and their most consistent batter in the last decade, Babar Azam’s omission was the biggest shock ahead of the Asia Cup. Despite strong PSL form earlier this year, selectors opted for a younger batting core. His absence leaves Pakistan without their former captain and run machine, marking a clear shift in their T20 planning.
Pakistan endured a forgettable 2024, managing just nine wins from 20 T20Is as their batting, in particular, came under scrutiny. Star batter Babar Azam faced criticism for conservative approach, finishing the year with strike rates of 133.21 figures considered well below the pace of modern-day T20 cricket.
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
Alongside Babar, Mohammad Rizwan has been Pakistan’s most reliable opener in T20Is, but he too has been left out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad. The decision to drop both Babar and Rizwan indicates Pakistan’s intent to back aggressive, new-generation batters. Rizwan’s calmness at the crease and experience will surely be missed.
Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews, with his wealth of experience in crunch matches, has been overlooked by Sri Lanka. Though still active and playing franchise cricket worldwide, the selectors have chosen to back younger all-rounders for the Asia Cup. His ability to steady innings and deliver key overs in pressure situations could have been invaluable.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh)
A dependable spin-bowling all-rounder, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was left out of Bangladesh’s main squad and relegated to the standby list. Having been part of Bangladesh’s success against Pakistan earlier in 2025, his omission raised eyebrows. With his economical off-spin and lower-order batting, Mehidy’s absence leaves Bangladesh missing a proven utility player.
