"We felt we needed...": Rohit Sharma on leaving out Shreyas Iyer from 2022 T20 WC squad

Iyer was not included in India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad but was named in the reserve players list. However, he didn't travel to Australia. Before the 2022 T20 World Cup, the right-handed batter was also excluded from the squad which played the Asia Cup. In place of Iyer, India went with all-rounder Deepak Hooda, who was part of the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup squads.

Speaking to JioHotstar, the former Indian captain Sharma revealed that he informed Iyer about his exclusion from the squads (T20 World Cup and Asia Cup) along with then Indian coach Rahul Dravid.

"There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. I think of Shreyas Iyer during the 2022 T20 World Cup. I still remember that we were playing in the West Indies. Rahul (Dravid) bhai and I always felt that if you are taking such calls, it is important for the individual to know why you are doing it. I remember we called Shreyas near the pool, and Rahul bhai and I both spoke to him about why he was not going to be part of that Asia Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup. We had to explain the reasoning to him. I remember we took Deepak Hooda then, and that was the only spot we had available," Rohit said.

Sharma added that they went with Hooda because they needed someone who could bowl some overs and had multi-skills.

The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning skipper added that Hooda was in good form before the 2022 Asia Cup and the World Cup, so the Indian side went with him instead of Iyer.

"We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball, because in our top five or six, there were not many players who could bowl. So we wanted players with those multi-skills, and that is why we had to go with Hooda. He was in good form before that Asia Cup and World Cup, and based on the form he showed in the IPL and the way he was batting, I felt he could fit into our plans. Shreyas would have felt bad, Deepak would have been happy, but that is how it works. If someone else takes Deepak's place in the future, then he would feel bad as well. As long as you have a valid reason and you explain it properly, that is fine," Rohit added.

In the Asia Cup 2022 edition, India were eliminated in the Super Four Stage. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 23 runs in the final to win their first in the T20I format. The Rohit-led India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat against England in the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup. (ANI)