Sunil Gavaskar Slams Overseas Players Passing Unnecessary Comments on India’s Team Selection
Sunil Gavaskar also blamed the Indian media for seeking opinions from foreign pundits, which he believes fuels negative criticism of Indian cricket.
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Sunil Gavaskar slammed foreign ex-players and pundits for unnecessarily criticizing India's 2025 Asia Cup squad selection. (via NDTV Sports)
Legendary Indian opener and 1983 World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar slammed overseas ex-players and foreign pundits for unnecessarily commenting on India’s 2025 Asia Cup squad picks. Gavaskar sternly insisted that ‘outsiders’ should not interfere nor validate the BCCI’s selection process.
A week ago, the BCCI-appointed selection committee announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup. The team will be captained by Suryakumar Yadav, with Test captain Shubman Gill named as his deputy, replacing Axar Patel. The squad also includes Jasprit Bumrah, who will be making his return to T20Is after a year, having last featured in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Asia Cup squad, however, has some notable omissions. The selectors drew the ire of fans for not picking in-form players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Iyer’s exclusion, even from the list of the five reserves prompted many foreign cricket pundits and ex-players to express displeasure, including former South African great AB de Villiers and ex-Australian star Brad Haddin.
Sunil Gavaskar said, "overseas players should focus on their country'd cricket and let us Indians worry about our cricket. Why butt your nose into the selection of the Indian team? Have you ever heard Indian ex-cricketers talk about the selection of other countries’ teams? No, we… pic.twitter.com/xoeR9ZxYzt
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 27, 2025
De Villiers labelled Shreyas Iyer’s omission as ‘weird’, while Haddin opined that the Indian team had made an ‘extraordinary blunder’. Their comments however, did not stand well with Indian cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar, who lashed out at the unnecessary criticism in his column for Sportstar.
The 76-year-old sternly reminded foreign players and pundits that they have no stake in Indian cricket, and that team selection is strictly outside their purview, while also pointing out their double standards.
What is baffling is foreigners who have zero stake in Indian cricket, wading into the debate and adding fuel to the fire…The selection of the Indian team is strictly none of their business.
Gavaskar suggested them to focus on their own country’s cricket, while also adding that Indian media and former cricketers do not typically discuss or criticize other nations’ team selections. He exclaimed that the overseas pundits often speak in a way that implies Indian players need their validation.
Gavaskar also stated that these negative comments about Indian cricket are often made to gain wider public engagement and increase social media followers, and is a source of income for many.
Today, in the days of public media, where getting views and followers is the theme, one of the fastest ways to increase the numbers is by commenting on matters Indian.
Keeping aside the commentary over India’s squad selection, it remains to be seen how the team performs at the 2025 Asia Cup. As a T20 cricket powerhouse, the Men in Blue are expected to do well, but they might face tough competition from rivals like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Sunil Gavaskar Lauds Cheteshwar Pujara’s Career in Tribute Message Following Retirement
Ex-India opener Sunil Gavaskar offered a heartfelt tribute to Cheteshwar Pujara, after the 37-year-old announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this week. The Indian Test stalwart, in the final years of his career, had fallen out of favor, having last played a Test match in 2023.
Cheteshwar Pujara enjoyed a fabulous red-ball career, characterized by his disciplined batting approach. For nearly a decade between 2012 to 2022, Pujara was the backbone of the Indian Test batting unit, and held onto the number three spot for a major part of his career. He played 103 Test matches, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, hitting 19 hundreds and 35 fifties, including a top-score of 206.
Hailing the 37-year-old’s grit, Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with Times of India, called Pujara an ‘old school cricketer’ who put India above everything else. Gavaskar went on to praise the former Test icon’s contribution to Indian cricket, while also noted that Pujara’s experience and expertise would be valuable in helping young cricketers understand the importance of playing for their country.
Not just Gavaskar, but Sachin Tendulkar also shared a tribute message for Cheteshwar Pujara, after he announced his retirement. Sachin reminded fans of Pujara’s heroics during India’s historic 2018 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia, where he scored an impressive 521 runs in seven innings.
Also Read: Dinesh Karthik Calls Out BCCI for ‘Unfair’ Shreyas Iyer Snub
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