Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly criticized the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer from India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad. The former spinner questioned the selectors’ approach, saying players who take risks for the team are being sidelined. He warned that this trend could push cricketers toward self-preservation. In a candid statement on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “Not only has his slot gone, but there’s a leadership role in that. Now, he’s left with one spot — he needs to fight for Abhishek Sharma’s place. Or he’ll have to go and play in the middle-order in the IPL.” The 37-year-old underlined Jaiswal’s numbers, stating, “He averages 36, with a strike rate of 165 in this format. It’s very hard to find a guy like Jaiswal. He doesn’t play for himself sometimes, I have seen a lot of batters who do. Shreyas is the same.” Read also: Will be in the leadership group: Irfan Pathan backs axed cricketer Ashwin Highlights Impact on Team Culture, Cites Risk-Taking Ashwin further remarked that both players embraced aggressive cricket, prioritizing team success over personal records. He noted, “Both of them play less for their average and more for strike rate. If the ball is there to be hit, they take the chance. It took a long time for India to get players with that brand of cricket. Now you got those players." The off-spinner expressed concern that future selections may discourage such intent. Ashwin said, “If I am Jaiswal or Shreyas, now my chance is gone, so from the next time if a risk has to be taken, I won’t. I’ll play for myself because I need to secure my place. It’s unfortunate you’ll have to play for that in T20s." Jaiswal, who has 723 runs in 23 T20Is at a strike rate of 164.31, remains among India’s most dynamic batters. Ashwin lauded his adaptability across formats: “He excelled in whichever format you gave him a chance. What can a guy do apart from excellence?”