MUMBAI, AUG 19 : India\u2019s announcement of their Asia Cup 2025 squad has sparked intense debate, not only for the strength of its core group but also for the shock exclusion of several star performers who were widely expected to feature prominently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Test captain Shubman Gill was appointed T20 vice-captain, replacing Axar Patel as deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav, the omissions of Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj have surprised many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 25-year-old Gill, whose last T20 International appearance was against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2024, earned his place following a prolific Test series against England, where he struck four centuries in the drawn five-match rubber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His inclusion was widely anticipated, but the selectors\u2019 decision to hand him the vice-captaincy added weight to his elevation in white-ball leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGill\u2019s form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all,\u201d chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Gill\u2019s batting slot may be up for discussion as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have forged an effective opening pair. Agarkar insisted this was a \u201cdelightful problem of plenty\u201d rather than a headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are more options (for the top order) now and Shubman has been in great form anyway. When they get to Dubai, they can decide on the playing XI according to the opposition and the conditions,\u201d the former pacer noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team management could opt to push Samson down the order, where the Kerala batter has often featured, and let Gill reclaim his place at the top. Agarkar hinted at this possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek\u2019s performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike I said, he (Shubman) was (the) vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket. That was after the last World Cup so even at that point, clearly we were thinking along those lines. Now that he\u2019s available, at least he (Suryakumar) has two options. It\u2019s their headache to pick the batting line-up (now); ours was to pick the 15 and so. But we\u2019ve got some real depth as far as T20 cricket is concerned and we are very happy with it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the omissions, Iyer\u2019s absence was the most striking. The IPL-winning captain had scored 604 runs at an average of 50.33 with a strike rate of 175 for Punjab Kings this year, guiding them to the final. His omission, not even as a standby, stunned many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agarkar defended the decision, saying it was \u201ca numbers game\u201d and \u201cno player\u2019s fault\u201d, while admitting it was a particularly tough call in a crowded batting line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yashasvi Jaiswal, another in-form youngster who was part of India\u2019s victorious T20 World Cup squad as a reserve, was also left out of the main fifteen despite finishing as Rajasthan Royals\u2019 top run-scorer with 559 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike rate of 159.71. He will travel as one of the five standbys. Selectors allegedly felt Abhishek Sharma\u2019s all-round potential gave him the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington Sundar\u2019s exclusion too raised eyebrows. The all-rounder impressed in the recent Test series against England but was only included as a reserve. The selectors instead went with the spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy for the UAE pitches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSundar is always in the scheme of things. This is not the final squad for the World Cup. We have three spinners at the moment, whether we need four, it can always come into the equation. We have got Rinku as an extra batter which we might require,\u201d Agarkar said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prasidh Krishna, despite winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets in 15 matches, also found himself relegated to the standbys. With Jasprit Bumrah returning to white-ball cricket, selectors allegedly opted for the proven combination of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Mohammed Siraj, who picked up 16 IPL wickets and was instrumental in the Test series win against England, was also overlooked, leaving India\u2019s pace attack under scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There had been lingering doubts about Bumrah\u2019s availability due to the short gap between the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai and India\u2019s first Test against the West Indies beginning October 2 in Ahmedabad. Nevertheless, the selectors brought him back, making this his first T20 tournament since last year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agarkar explained: \u201cThere\u2019s no written plan at the moment. We have had a nice break from the England series. We are trying to look after him. Most fast bowlers are monitored and it won\u2019t change. How we require him (for future tournaments) is also important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kuldeep Yadav has also been drafted in, while Jitesh Sharma was named as the back-up wicketkeeper batter. Agarkar said Jitesh has \u201cevolved a lot\u201d as a T20 batter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wicketkeeper-batter shone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025, regularly providing vital runs down the order. Skipper Suryakumar echoed the view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s taken one game at a time. The way he did in the IPL and also in the domestic tournaments which he played, the T20s and the one-dayers, he\u2019s done really well and he\u2019s earned his spot again,\u201d Suryakumar stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agarkar acknowledged that with names like Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma included despite mixed IPL form, the squad was built around balance and defined roles, keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have got some serious options in T20 squad… sometimes not the easiest squad to pick but good headache to have,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will not only test India\u2019s chosen 15 but also intensify debates over the players left behind. With competition for spots at its fiercest, Gill\u2019s appointment as vice-captain and the high-profile omissions underline both the depth and ruthlessness of Indian cricket\u2019s T20 selection landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-PTI<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MUMBAI, AUG 19 : India\u2019s announcement of their Asia Cup 2025 squad has sparked intense debate, not only for the strength of its core group but also for the shock<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[348,16],"tags":[27514,27516,27517,271,27515],"class_list":["post-140922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news","category-sport-news","tag-gill-named-t20-vice-captain-for-asia-cup-big-names-iyer","tag-jaiswal","tag-krishna-excluded","tag-mumbai","tag-sundar"],"yoast_head":"\n