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On Tuesday, August 19, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The continental tournament, which is scheduled to be played from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, will be played in T20 format. Team India, who will be entering as the defending champions, have been placed in Group A, alongside Pakistan, UAE and Oman.
The Men in Blue will be led by their T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, whereas in a surprising turn of events, Shubman Gill have been named his deputy. The side also includes the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, there were some surprising omissions from the side as well.
Players who make the team win a match must not be left out…: Madan Lal on Jaiswal’s snub
Star Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been a prolific batter at the top, was a notable absentee from the 15-men side, including the likes of Shreyas Iyer. Seeing Jaiswal’s omission, former India cricketer Madan Lal was visibly surprised. Speaking to ANI, Madan Lal hit back at selectors while stating that match-winners should not be left out.
"Sometimes you feel surprised that a player like Yashasvi Jaiswal is not in the team. Gill is a good choice as he is performing well. In the coming time, it is possible that Gill will play in all three formats... The players who make the team win a match must not be left out. We have such a good team that we may win the Asia Cup," Madan Lal told ANI.
However, the 74-year-old hailed selectors’ choice of picking Shubman Gill, despite the cricketer not featuring in the T20I side for over six months. It is to be noted that Jaiswal last played a T20I match in July 2024. Despite that, he put up a great show in the IPL 2025, where he scored 559 runs at a strike rate of 160.
India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad:
Surya Kumar 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
Reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel
