Chief selector Ajit Agarkar defended the decisions as Shubman Gill was named vice-captain, but the move drew fire from former cricketers.
August 20, 2025: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the 15-member Indian roster for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. There are some big names missing, which has caused a lot of debate among cricket fans and experts. Yashasvi Jaiswal, a renowned opener, and Shreyas Iyer, a middle-order batter, are two of the most notable players who are not there. Both of them have been playing well lately.
Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, talked about the controversial choices during a news conference and said that Jaiswal’s absence was “unfortunate.” He said that Abhishek Sharma was picked for the team instead because he offers a “bowling option,” which is very important in the T20 format.
“We need what Abhishek has done in the last year or so, as well as a bowling option.” “One of these guys was always going to miss out,” Agarkar remarked.
Former cricketers have not liked the decision. R. Ashwin, a former Indian off-spinner, went to his YouTube channel to say that the exclusions were “sad and unfair.” He said that both Jaiswal and Iyer had been “cracking form” and asked why the selectors chose them. Former opener Aakash Chopra also said he was surprised that Iyer didn’t even make the list of reserve players, which sent a mixed message about his future in T20I.
Shubman Gill was named vice-captain, taking over for Axar Patel as Suryakumar Yadav’s second-in-command. Some reports say that Gill’s T20I credentials have “faded in comparison” to others, while Agarkar hailed his current form, saying that he “exceeded it all.”
The team also welcomes back fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who will participate in his first T20 tournament since the World Cup last year. Kuldeep Yadav and Jitesh Sharma, who is the backup wicketkeeper, are also on the list.
India is in Group A of the Asia Cup with Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE as opponents. On September 9, the event will start in the UAE.
India’s Asia Cup team includes Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav.