The BCCI has announced India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025. While Suryakumar Yadav continues as captain, the focus is on Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain, the return of Jasprit Bumrah, and the omission of some big names.
Gill Returns as Vice-Captain
Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain as he makes his comeback to T20Is.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav explained:
“Last time 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 Test cricket and the Champions Trophy.”
Bumrah Back in the Squad
A big boost for India is the return of Jasprit Bumrah. The pace spearhead missed several recent T20I assignments due to his Test and ODI commitments, but is now back to lead the bowling attack. This will be Bumrah’s first T20I appearance since the T20 World Cup 2024 final. He will be supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Balanced Squad Across Departments
The squad features a blend of youth and experience.
Batting: Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel.
Wicket-keepers: Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma.
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Notable Omissions: Jaiswal, Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravi Bishnoi
The Asia Cup squad announcement has also raised eyebrows with a few surprising exclusions.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – Even though he has been consistent in T20Is, Jaiswal misses out this time. The selectors backed Abhishek Sharma’s strong form and also welcomed Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I setup, which left no room for Jaiswal.
- Washington Sundar – Sundar finds himself in the reserves. India have chosen to go with only three spinners in the main squad and instead included Rinku Singh as an extra batter for the lower middle order.
- Shreyas Iyer – Iyer has been in red-hot form, scoring over 600 runs in IPL 2025 while also impressing as a captain. Still, he has been left out due to no available spot in the middle order. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained: “It is neither his fault nor ours. He just has to wait for his opportunity.”
- Ravi Bishnoi – Bishnoi, who often stepped up when Kuldeep Yadav was unavailable, has missed out this time. With Kuldeep returning for his first T20I since the 2024 World Cup final, Bishnoi had to make way.
India’s Squad For Asia Cup 2025
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Standby Players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel.
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