“None of Their Business”: Gavaskar Fires Back at Foreign Legends Blaming Agarkar for Shreyas Iyer’s Asia Cup Exclusion

Sunil Gavaskar has slammed overseas cricketing greats for commenting on Indian cricket controversies to boost their personal engagement.

Gavaskar Slams Foreign Cricketers Over Shreyas Iyer Snub Debate

Once again, an Indian cricket squad selection has sparked debate. While experience dominated discussions around India’s 15-member squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, the latest Asia Cup selection has shifted attention to Shreyas Iyer’s surprising omission. Iyer, who recently led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final and had prior success as Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain, last played a T20I for India in 2023. His exclusion, despite Shubman Gill’s selection, triggered widespread reactions across the cricketing fraternity.

Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the BCCI selection committee, faced the brunt of criticism, including from former cricketers. However, Sunil Gavaskar took issue with overseas cricket legends weighing in. In his column for The Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote, “What is baffling is foreigners who have zero stake in Indian cricket, and much less knowledge about it, wading into the debate and adding fuel to the fire… They should focus on their country’s cricket and let us Indians worry about our cricket. Amazingly, when their country’s teams are selected, there’s hardly anything, if ever, heard from them about the selection. Why butt your nose into the selection of the Indian team?”

Though Gavaskar did not name names, his comments clearly addressed Brad Haddin and AB de Villiers. De Villiers hinted at possible “closed-door happenings” influencing Iyer’s omission, while Haddin openly expressed his surprise, stating, “I thought he was injured,” reflecting his disappointment over the snub of his former PBKS captain.

Sunil Gavaskar doesn’t stop there

Sunil Gavaskar further took a dig at former cricketers using Indian cricket controversies to gain followers on social media, podcasts, or YouTube. Notably, both Brad Haddin and AB de Villiers are part of this trend, with Haddin frequently appearing on the LiSTNR Sport Podcast and de Villiers running his own YouTube channel.

“In today’s era of public media, getting views and followers is the main goal. One of the fastest ways to boost numbers is by commenting on matters related to Indian cricket—and mostly negatively—triggering huge reactions from Indian fans, which in turn increases follower counts. If you have thick skin, then all the better. That’s why many overseas cricketers have made a living by needling Indian cricket lovers with their mostly negative comments about Indian cricket and cricketers,” Gavaskar wrote.

He also placed partial responsibility on the Indian media, noting, “How often, on overseas tours, do we see members of the Indian media chasing former players from the host country—players whom even their own nation has almost forgotten—for an interview? It’s almost as if validation about Indian cricket and its cricketers has to be obtained from overseas players.”

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