India Asia Cup 2025 squad: Shubman Gill made vice captain; no Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal
Gill's last T20I was in July 2024, but he was the vice captain of the side in that series against Sri Lanka. Before that, he led India for the first time in a T20I series in Zimbabwe. As Gill was an equally important member of the ODI and Test squad, the selectors decided to remove him from the shortest formats. When a big tournament like the Asia Cup comes in, there will never be any doubts about Gill's spot.
What actually started the debate was the way Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson performed as an opening pair in Gill's absence. Both Abhishek and Sanju scored a couple of centuries each and pretty much cemented their places in the T20I XI. The selectors, however, have decided to bank on Gill's quality.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have formed a formidable opening pair in T20Is for India over the course of the last eight to ten months. Hence, it is no surprise that the duo retain their place in the squad for the Asia Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah had informed the selectors about his availability for the Asia Cup last week. Hence, it is no surprise that the ace speedster is in the main squad for the tournament. Bumrah will be ably supported by Arshdeep Singh, who has slowly and steadily emerged as a force to reckon with in the shortest format.
The selectors have also opted to stick with Tilak Varma, who has been in phenomenal form in international T20Is. Tilak Varma scored back-to-back centuries against South Africa last year in the T20I series, and he was also in good form in the five-match series against England.
No place for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer
The squad has no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. The latter set the stage on fire in the IPL for the Punjab Kings. However, the selectors have opted not to give him a chance for the Asia Cup.
Jitesh Sharma has also been rewarded for his performance in the IPL 2025 season for the eventual winners, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will serve as the backup wicketkeeper to Sanju Samson.
India's squad for Asia Cup: Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.
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