India's squad for Asia Cup 2025: Ajit Agarkar's 5 big announcements that threw pleasant surprises amid some tough calls

Hindustan Times

6 hours ago

India's 15-member squad for the upcoming Men's Asia Cup has been unveiled. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media to make the team public in front of the media. Shubman Gill returns to the T20I fold as the vice-captain, while the likes of Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh have retained their place. Jasprit Bumrah made himself available for the eight-team tournament; hence, it is no surprise that the ace speedster will lead the attack for the competition, which sees India play their first game on September 10 against the UAE. Here are the biggest talking points from Ajit Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav's press conference(Screengrab - JioHotstar)
As expected, the press conference, which lasted roughly 20 minutes, had several talking points. Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav were quizzed on the non-selection of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, and the duo did not deflect any of the hard questions.
Apart from unveiling the 15-member squad, Agarkar also named five standbys for the tournament. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Rinku Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Washington Sundar are among the five-member reserve list.
So, without further ado, let's get down to business and discuss the five biggest talking points from Ajit Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav's press conference.
Shubman Gill returns as vice-captain
Shubman Gill last played a T20I in July 2024 against Sri Lanka. For the three-match series back then, the 25-year-old was made the vice-captain. Keeping the continuity in mind, Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the management decided to bring him back, considering the right-hander is available for the shortest format of the game.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav answers burning question after Shubman Gill named vice-captain for Asia Cup
'The last time Shubman Gill played a T20I for India was when we went to Sri Lanka. When I was leading, he was the vice-captain. That's where we started the new cycle for the T20 World Cup. After that, he got busy with all the Test series. He is in the squad and we are happy to have him,' Suryakumar Yadav told reporters.
Absence of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the stage on fire for their franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. However, the duo have yet to receive a T20I call-up. Speaking to reporters, Ajit Agarkar said that it is unfortunate that the duo have to miss out, but considering the current strength of the squad, nothing can be done.
"With regards to Shreyas, I mean, you need to tell him who he can replace. No fault of his, nor is it ours. It's just that we have to pick 15 at the moment, he'll have to wait for his chance," Agarkar said about Shreyas.
While speaking about Jaiswal, Agarkar said, "With regards to Yashasvi, it's just unfortunate again. There's Abhishek Sharma, what he's done over the last few months or a year or so that he's been with the team. Plus, that he can bowl a little bit, gives us an option if required by the captain. One of these guys is always going to miss out. It's just unfortunate that Yashasvi might have to wait for his chance."
Sanju Samson could miss out
During the press conference, Ajit Agarkar was candid enough to admit that Sanju Samson only got a chance as the opener because Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were unavailable for T20Is because of their commitments in the longest format. Considering this statement, it can be concluded that the right-handed batter is not a sure-shot starter in the playing XI for the Asia Cup.
'Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point. So was Abhishek. I mean, Abhishek's performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy,' said Agarkar.
Can Shubman Gill become all-three format captain?
Shubman Gill, the Test captain, is back as the vice-captain in T20Is. This change has led to speculations about whether Gill can eventually become the captain in all three formats of the game. Right now, Rohit Sharma is the ODI captain. However, his future in the format is not clear.
Ajit Agarkar side-stepped the question when he was asked point-blank whether Gill has it in him to become the all-format captain.
"I can discuss with you right now, T20 cricket and Test cricket, he is already leading. And like Surya mentioned, he was the vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket for India. So, we obviously see some leadership qualities in him. And behind his form in England was what we were hoping for. He obviously exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his back," said Agarkar.
"Which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain. So, like I said, I can only talk about T20 cricket right now and Test cricket," he added.
Jasprit Bumrah's workload
Jasprit Bumrah played just three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England owing to workload management. Ever since the series came to an end, the pacer has received flak from some corners for picking and choosing. Amid all the drama, Bumrah made himself available for the Asia Cup, which begins September 9.
Agarkar once again confirmed that Bumrah's workload management would continue despite the outside noise, as he spoke about how special the pacer truly is.
"I mean, I don't think there is any written plan at the moment. Obviously, there has been a nice break after the England series as well. The team management, the physios, or the people concerned are always in touch. It's not just now. Even before his injury, we have tried to look after him. Because we know how valuable he is. Clearly, we want him available for all the big games," said Agarkar.
"But there are World Cups, there are Champions Trophies or big series like England or Australia, where you want him available all the time. So, most fast bowlers are monitored. And yes, because he has picked up an injury over the last 2 or 3 years, there is extra care taken on how unique and how special he is. And it won't change. It won't change whether it's this series or maybe the next 6 months. As we go along, how he is feeling, when we require him as a team, which is probably the most important thing," he added.