Former India wicketkeeper-batter Vijay Dahiya feels India batter Shreyas Iyer was unlucky to be dropped from Team India’s Asia Cup squad, but also said some players will always miss out due to the massive bench strength in the country.

“Once the team is picked, we cannot say much about it. Whenever any Indian team is picked, some players will always miss out. The bench strength we have, we can field two separate teams but some players will always be left out,” Dahiya told PTI Videos. “But nothing much can be changed now, as he is not even part of the reserves as well. But yes, the way he has performed has made everyone think that he is missing.”

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The Asia Cup will take place in T20 format starting September 9 in the UAE as well. Iyer, who has played 51 T20Is for India, has smashed 1104 runs, which came at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12 as well. His last appearance came against Australia in December 2023 as well.

“I feel that there will be many such matches where he (Bumrah) might not play and feature only in those crunch matches, and we can manage his workload there,” said Dahiya, who is currently the head coach of Delhi Premier League’s Purani Dilli 6 franchise.

“When you talk about the workload, then it’s not only for Bumrah, it is also for Siraj. He played all five Tests and the intensity with which he bowled was commendable. The effort and quality of fast bowling he displayed in England also could be the reason for his break,” Vijay Dahiya said. “There is not much threat in the Asia Cup for India but T20 is a format that changes quickly. India will lose only if we have a bad day or someone plays exceptional cricket.”