New Delhi, Aug 10: With just a month to go before the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian cricket team’s selection panel faces a string of tough decisions as they finalise the squad for the continental tournament.
The competition, running from September 9 to 28, will be staged entirely in Dubai and Abu Dhabi despite India being the official hosts, in line with the BCCI–PCB hybrid model that ensures India–Pakistan matches are played at neutral venues.
India have been drawn alongside arch-rivals Pakistan in Group A, with the possibility of meeting them up to three times during the tournament. The Men in Blue will open their campaign against the UAE on September 10.
The biggest talking point remains the fitness of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The right-arm quick, who sat out the final Test of the England series for workload management, is yet to be confirmed for the Asia Cup.
“If Bumrah plays the Asia Cup and India reach the final, it will be difficult to field him against West Indies in Ahmedabad before the South Africa Tests,” a BCCI source told PTI, hinting that chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir will take a final call in the coming days.
Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a toe fracture during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Although the wicketkeeper-batter will not require surgery, he faces at least six weeks on the sidelines.
Shubman Gill, India’s Test captain, is expected to make his T20I return as vice-captain. The 25-year-old has featured in 21 T20Is, amassing 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27, including one century and three half-centuries.
Gill’s last T20I appearance was in July 2024 in Sri Lanka.Shreyas Iyer is also tipped for a recall to bolster the middle order. “We need Iyer’s class and experience in all formats,” a BCCI insider told the Times of India. Iyer last played a T20I in December 2023.
In terms of ICC rankings, India boast four batters in the men’s T20I top ten — Abhishek Sharma (1st), Tilak Varma (3rd), Suryakumar Yadav (6th), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10th). On the bowling front, Varun Chakravarthy (4th), Ravi Bishnoi (7th), and Arshdeep Singh (10th) lead the charge. Bumrah, however, sits at 42nd after last appearing in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
India’s last T20I squad, for the home series against England earlier this year, featured Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, and Varun Chakravarthy.
The official squad announcement is expected in the coming week, with selectors weighing the balance between experience and workload management as India look to reclaim the Asia Cup crown.With the countdown to the Asia Cup ticking fast, the coming days promise intense deliberations inside the selection room.
Injuries, form, and the looming South Africa Tests have made the balancing act trickier than usual for Agarkar and Gambhir’s think-tank. Yet, as history often shows, India have thrived when pushed to make bold calls. (Agencies)
