Gill named T20 vice-captain for Asia Cup; big names Iyer, Jaiswal, Sundar, Krishna excluded

MUMBAI, AUG 19 : India’s 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.

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.

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.

His inclusion was widely anticipated, but the selectors’ decision to hand him the vice-captaincy added weight to his elevation in white-ball leadership.

“Gill’s form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference here.

However, Gill’s batting slot may be up for discussion as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have forged an effective opening pair. Agarkar insisted this was a “delightful problem of plenty” rather than a headache.

“There 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,” the former pacer noted.

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.

“Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek’s performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy,” he explained.

“Like 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’s available, at least he (Suryakumar) has two options. It’s their headache to pick the batting line-up (now); ours was to pick the 15 and so. But we’ve got some real depth as far as T20 cricket is concerned and we are very happy with it,” he added.

Among the omissions, Iyer’s 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.

Agarkar defended the decision, saying it was “a numbers game” and “no player’s fault”, while admitting it was a particularly tough call in a crowded batting line-up.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, another in-form youngster who was part of India’s victorious T20 World Cup squad as a reserve, was also left out of the main fifteen despite finishing as Rajasthan Royals’ 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’s all-round potential gave him the edge.

Washington Sundar’s 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.

“Sundar 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,” Agarkar said.

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’s pace attack under scrutiny.

There had been lingering doubts about Bumrah’s availability due to the short gap between the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai and India’s 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’s World Cup.

Agarkar explained: “There’s 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’t change. How we require him (for future tournaments) is also important.”

Kuldeep Yadav has also been drafted in, while Jitesh Sharma was named as the back-up wicketkeeper batter. Agarkar said Jitesh has “evolved a lot” as a T20 batter.

The wicketkeeper-batter shone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025, regularly providing vital runs down the order. Skipper Suryakumar echoed the view.

“He’s 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’s done really well and he’s earned his spot again,” Suryakumar stated.

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.

“We have got some serious options in T20 squad… sometimes not the easiest squad to pick but good headache to have,” he remarked.

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.

The Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will not only test India’s chosen 15 but also intensify debates over the players left behind. With competition for spots at its fiercest, Gill’s appointment as vice-captain and the high-profile omissions underline both the depth and ruthlessness of Indian cricket’s T20 selection landscape.

-PTI