Sunil Gavaskar Criticizes Foreign Voices Regarding Asia Cup 2025 Team Controversy

The Indian Asia Cup 2025 team announcement has generated massive buzz worldwide. Suryakumar Yadav being selected as the team captain for the UAE tournament made everyone excited as well as surprised. Not featuring players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the fifteen member team soon became a topic of debate. Although controversy in India was anticipated, what came as a shock to many was the manner in which former overseas international cricketers have entered the discourse. Legend Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar held no punches when he chose to comment on this trend.

Discussions about team selection are natural, according to Gavaskar, and he would have been shocked if there had been absolutely no arguments or discussions at all in India. From television pundits to social networkers, everybody has something to say when a major tournament is on the horizon. That is the charm of cricket in India where the game is followed with such fervor by millions. But it is not acceptable to Gavaskar when ex-cricketers from outside the country feel compelled to make judgments about India's decisions. He feels they do not have any interest in Indian cricket and thus need not be interfering.

While writing his column for Sportstar, the ex-India captain said that whether the foreign players were big or how many times they have been to India does not matter. It is an internal decision and has nothing to do with others. He mentioned that Indian ex cricketers never speak on the selection of other national teams. Therefore, it makes little sense when foreign names consistently fuel controversies that are already hot in India.

Gavaskar further revealed the manner in which these outsiders behave. Whenever their own nation reveals a squad, there is hardly ever any critical remark on their part. It is as if their own choice is not to be questioned. But then when India is involved, they develop opinions and publicize them. It is this double standard that irks Gavaskar most. Indians, he says, mind their own business and do not meddle with the affairs of other cricket boards. So he demands that foreigners treat India with the same respect.

One of Gavaskar's keenest insights was regarding the role of social media in this trend. He described how nowadays people attempt to grow their followers and viewers by posting provocative statements. Speaking of India and its cricket is one of the quickest means to draw attention. A critical statement regarding Indian cricket can elicit thousands of responses from Indian fans on the internet. That interaction subsequently enhances the profile of those players. Gavaskar opined that a few foreign cricketers have even been able to establish themselves post retirement by goading Indian supporters using such methods. If they are thick skinned enough to withstand the responses, they become benefited from it.

Gavaskar further highlighted the fact that a portion of the blame is also within the Indian media itself. On foreign tours, members of the Indian media tend to pursue erstwhile players of the host nation for their views on India's performance or team selection. Many such erstwhile players are hardly even mentioned in their own nation these days. And yet they are suddenly given a platform of sorts in India where their statements become authoritative. Gavaskar believes this trend only adds fuel to outsiders interfering. It's nearly as though Indian cricket requires international vindication that it shouldn't.

The latest controversy surrounding this year's Asia Cup team has been a good case in point. The omissions of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal have already left a section of Indian fans frustrated. Choices are never easy because there are always more talented players than places available. Healthy controversy at home is understandable. But for Gavaskar, what is not natural is when overseas names try to turn those debates into controversies for their own gain. He insists that Indians are capable of questioning and analyzing their own cricketing matters without outside interference.

NDTV also reported that Gavaskar stressed the need for both the Indian public and the media to stop giving so much importance to external voices. The attention should still be on standing behind the selected team and behind the trusted captain who has been given leadership responsibilities. The Asia Cup is a big tournament and with India being the previous champions, the pressure is already there. Bringing in additional unnecessary heat from outside experts only assists the team negatively.

With the countdown still ongoing for the tournament, the team under Suryakumar Yadav will hope to leave aside all the controversy and focus on practice. For the fans, the message is crystal clear from Gavaskar. Let there be debate within the nation and do not oblige those external voices who are more concerned with social media trends than with the real welfare of Indian cricket. With the setting in the UAE and the attention of millions focused on the champions, it is time to turn attention back to the action on the field and away from the white noise off it.