On August 19, 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup T20 tournament—set to take place in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 28. In The announcement, made during a press conference in Mumbai by Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Selection Committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar, served as a significant moment in India’s cricketing calendar as the team gears up for continental and global T20 competitions
Spotlight on Choices: Leaders In and Out
Leading the squad is Suryakumar Yadav as captain, with Shubman Gill entrusted as vice-captain—an appointment that raised eyebrows given Gill’s sparse T20I appearances and recent return to the format following a Test-heavy schedule and red-ball duties
The squad features a balanced mix of all-rounders, spinners, and frontline bowlers:
- Starters & Core Picks: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel
- Wicketkeeping duo: Sanju Samson & Jitesh Sharma
- Bowling arsenal: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Notable Omissions Stir Debate
Perhaps most shocking were the exclusions of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both of whom delivered eye-catching IPL performances this season. Additionally, Anderson favorites like Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj were named only on the standby list, raising further questions about selection priorities
Ajit Agarkar addressed Shreyas Iyer’s omission candidly: “It’s no fault of his, but neither ours… With respect to Shreyas Iyer, who can he replace?”
Political Sensitivities Surface
An unexpected moment during the press briefing saw Agarkar being stopped from answering a question about India’s upcoming match against Pakistan—highlighting the political sensitivities surrounding that high-profile fixture The Times of IndiaIndia Today.
Fans React: Praise, Criticism, and Viral Moments
The announcement sparked immediate and passionate responses across social platforms.
Some fans welcomed Gill’s promotion, linking it to his leadership potential:
“Shubman Gill era has begun for Indian cricket in all format.”
— Irfan Pathan
“Shubman Gill will be the highest run getter of the Asia Cup 2025. Bookmark this!”
— Musa
Conversely, others criticized what they saw as questionable judgment in elevating Gill while sidelining in-form players:
“But picking Shubman Gill as Vice Captain and not picking both doesn’t make sense, nothing against Gill.”
— SACHI
“Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped … Shubman Gill is the VC, seriously!! What a joke.”
— @ImAdiRo_
Outrage Over Key Exclusions
The absence of Iyer and Jaiswal was widely lamented. Some fans even alleged favoritism:
“Did Shreyas Iyer do something wrong ???? First dropped from Test team now not in ODI too ??”
— X user
Others implied bias, linking the selections to coach Gautam Gambhir’s IPL affiliations:
“Is India coach Gautam Gambhir favouring KKR players?”
— Fans on social media
Fans also pointed out mismatches in IPL form vs. selection:
“Shreyas Iyer who was highest scorer of IPL … is not selected… This is poor from BCCI.”
— Twitter user
What This Means for Asia Cup & Beyond
India enters Asia Cup 2025 as defending champions, with a blend of youth, experience, and spin-firepower ready for the T20 challenge in the UAE iccWikipedia. With marquee clashes—including a much-anticipated match against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai—on the horizon, team cohesion and role clarity will be crucial Jagranjosh.com.
The squad choices signal a strategic shift—one bent on combining leadership, form, and tactical planning, even at the cost of sidelining big names. Whether these decisions pay off will unfold in the coming weeks under the Asia Cup spotlight.
