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With the ACC Men’s Asia Cup set to be the next major cricketing tournament for the Men in Blue the selection committee has a daunting task in front of them to pick the perfectly balanced 15-member squad. While the tournament is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee is set to announce the squad on Tuesday, August 19.
With several reports surfacing around the same, some have claimed that India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has passed the fitness test following his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru after undergoing a sports hernia surgery in Germany in June. Furthermore, reports quoting The Indian Express have also informed that Jasprit Bumrah have informed of his availability for the upcoming tournament.
No place for Shubman Gill; Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma likely to get included
But recent reports have revealed some startling decisions that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is talking about. According to reports citing Cricbuzz, Shubman Gill is unlikely to make it to India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025. However, earlier reports had added that Gill might be named Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy, but recent reports have claimed that BCCI have backed the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for the continental tournament.
Furthermore, several reports have asserted that Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma are likely to earn a recall in India’s T20I setup. It is to be noted that Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma have not featured in T20Is since Guatam Gambhir took over the reins from Rahul Dravid. While Iyer last featured in T20I in December 2023, the wicketkeeper-batter made his last appearance in January 2024.
In the bowling department, while the selectors have been handed a boost with Bumrah’s availability, India is likely to go with a spin-heavy attack consisting of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi along with Axar Patel.
