Asia Cup 2025: Bollywood Actor Varun Dhawan Express His Support For Shreyas Iyer After Exclusion From India’s Squad

When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025, the news was expected to generate excitement and debate. After all, the Asia Cup, to be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year, serves as a vital tune-up before the T20 World Cup. But instead of uniting fans behind a balanced squad, the announcement has triggered one of the biggest selection controversies in recent memory.

At the heart of the storm is Shreyas Iyer, the stylish middle-order batter who has been in red-hot form across formats. Despite consistent runs and clutch performances, Iyer’s name was absent from the squad list — a decision that has baffled fans, stunned former cricketers, and sparked an online campaign of support.

And into this swirling cricketing debate entered an unexpected voice of solidarity: Bollywood star Varun Dhawan. With a simple Instagram story — no text, no commentary, just a montage video — Dhawan’s post silently but powerfully sided with his friend. Within hours, the clip went viral, transforming Dhawan’s quiet gesture into one of the most talked-about reactions to the Asia Cup selection.

The Instagram Story That Spoke Louder Than Words

In today’s world of endless commentary and loud opinions, Varun Dhawan’s approach was refreshingly different. He did not rant. He did not tag the selectors. He did not even write a caption.

Instead, Dhawan simply reshared a fan-made montage posted by user “dhrrrjjj_13”. The video focused on Shreyas Iyer’s interviews and training moments, set to emotional background music. What stood out were Iyer’s own words — quotes like:

“No one will help you but yourself.”
“It’s only you vs you.”

The choice of clips was deliberate. These were not highlights of fours and sixes but snippets of Iyer speaking about resilience, struggle, and self-belief. By sharing this, Dhawan subtly reminded his 46 million followers that behind the omission was a man who had fought adversity before and would do so again.

Within minutes, the story spread across X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and fan forums, with hashtags like #JusticeForIyer and #VarunBacksIyer trending. Many fans applauded Dhawan for using his star power to amplify a cricketer’s struggle, while others called it an example of Bollywood and cricket’s deep cultural crossover in India.

Shreyas Iyer’s Form: The Numbers Don’t Lie

What makes this omission particularly shocking is Iyer’s recent form in white-ball cricket. Far from being a player struggling for runs, Iyer has arguably been one of India’s most consistent performers in the last 18 months.

IPL 2025: A Captain’s Redemption

Playing for the Punjab Kings, Iyer scored 604 runs, finishing as one of the top run-scorers of the tournament. More importantly, he anchored the middle order with maturity, guiding Punjab to their first playoffs in years. His blend of classical stroke play and calculated aggression proved invaluable.

Champions Trophy 2025: India’s Run Machine

Just months ago, at the ICC Champions Trophy, Iyer emerged as India’s leading run-scorer with 243 runs — more than established stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. His calm 89* against South Africa in a tricky chase was hailed as one of the finest innings by an Indian batter in ICC knockouts in recent memory.

Middle-Order Stability

For years, India’s Achilles heel in white-ball cricket has been the middle order. In that context, Iyer’s ability to absorb pressure and rotate strike makes him invaluable. His numbers in ODIs (average 45+) and growing adaptability in T20s (strike rate 140+) underline his versatility.

And yet, when the Asia Cup squad was unveiled, his name was missing.

The Selectors’ Call: Why Was Iyer Dropped?

The official explanation from the selection committee has been muted. Insiders suggest three possible reasons:

Team Balance in T20s – The selectors wanted more finishers and power-hitters, banking on players like Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson rather than a stabilizer like Iyer.
Injury Concerns – Though Iyer has been fit for months, his back injury in 2023 continues to linger in selectors’ minds.
Youth Push – With the Asia Cup doubling up as preparation for the T20 World Cup, the management may have chosen to test younger options.

But these justifications have not convinced fans or experts. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag tweeted:

“If consistency doesn’t matter, then what does? Shreyas Iyer deserved to be in this squad.”

Bollywood Meets Cricket: Varun Dhawan’s Personal Connection

Varun Dhawan’s backing of Shreyas Iyer is not a random gesture. The two have been spotted together at events, gym sessions, and even at Mumbai-based charity matches. Dhawan, a fitness enthusiast and avid cricket follower, has often spoken about how he admires athletes’ discipline.

For Dhawan, this wasn’t just about cricket — it was about friendship and respect for resilience. By highlighting Iyer’s own words of self-belief, Dhawan made the moment less about outrage and more about inspiration.

The post also sparked a Bollywood-wide ripple, with celebrities like Arjun Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Kartik Aaryan liking or resharing the clip. It quickly became one of the most-discussed Instagram stories of the week.

Social Media Reacts: Fans Rally Behind Iyer

The backlash against Iyer’s exclusion has been intense. On X, fans flooded timelines with their views:

“Shreyas Iyer dropped after being India’s best batter in Champions Trophy? Absolute joke.”
“Selectors prefer hype over performance. Feel for Iyer.”
“Thank you Varun Dhawan for standing with our boy when others stay silent.”

Memes comparing Iyer’s exclusion to other shockers (like Ambati Rayudu before the 2019 World Cup) also trended. For many, this decision symbolizes a recurring issue in Indian cricket: selectors not valuing consistency enough.

The Broader Debate: Selection vs Sentiment

Cricket selections in India have always been contentious, but Iyer’s case has reignited deeper debates:

Should selectors prioritize form over specific team roles?
Is there a bias toward marquee names, even if their recent form is inconsistent?
Are players unfairly punished for past injuries despite proving fitness?

Some experts argue that T20s demand different skills, and perhaps Iyer’s role as a consolidator doesn’t fit the team’s current blueprint. But others counter that in high-pressure games, especially knockouts, you need calm, technically sound batters — and Iyer fits that description perfectly.

Varun Dhawan on the Workfront: A Busy 2025

While Dhawan’s Instagram story made headlines in the cricket world, the actor himself is preparing for one of his biggest cinematic years yet. He will next be seen in “Border 2”, an ambitious sequel to the 1997 classic. Sharing screen space with Sunny Deol and Diljit Dosanjh, Dhawan plays a soldier in this Republic Day 2026 release.

Insiders say Dhawan’s role is intense, patriotic, and physically demanding — a sharp departure from his romantic-comedy image. Much like Shreyas Iyer’s battle on the cricket field, Dhawan too is preparing for a career-defining test on the big screen.

What This Means for Iyer’s Future

For Shreyas Iyer, the Asia Cup snub is undoubtedly a setback. But if history is any guide, he thrives when written off.

In 2020, after being overlooked initially, he cemented his spot with a match-winning 80* against New Zealand.
In 2023, post his back surgery, he stormed back to form with hundreds in ODIs.
In 2025, after the contract snub earlier this year, he responded with IPL consistency and Champions Trophy brilliance.

If anything, this exclusion may fuel Iyer further, setting him up for an emphatic comeback, possibly even at the T20 World Cup later in the year.

The omission of Shreyas Iyer from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad has become more than just a cricketing decision — it’s a national talking point blending sport, cinema, and public sentiment.

At its center lies a talented cricketer whose performances merited inclusion, a selection committee whose decisions remain opaque, and a Bollywood star whose silent gesture spoke louder than the loudest debates.

In many ways, Varun Dhawan’s Instagram story captured the essence of this controversy. It wasn’t about outrage. It wasn’t about criticism. It was about resilience, belief, and the reminder that setbacks don’t define careers — responses do.

As India heads into the Asia Cup, one thing is certain: the conversation around Shreyas Iyer will continue to shadow the team. And whether or not he makes it back into the squad for the T20 World Cup, his story — amplified by voices like Dhawan’s — will remain one of the most compelling narratives of Indian cricket in 2025.

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