A strong core with big names returning
India announced their 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the side as the defending champions chase a record-extending ninth title.
Among the most significant developments is the return of Jasprit Bumrah to India’s T20 setup for the first time since the 2024 World Cup, strengthening a bowling unit that also features Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana.
The batting group blends experience with youth, led by captain Suryakumar, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh. All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube provide depth, while Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma cover the wicketkeeping responsibilities.
India’s group fixtures begin against UAE on September 10, followed by a marquee clash against Pakistan on September 14, and Oman on September 19.
Gill takes vice-captaincy as leadership role expands
Shubman Gill has been reinstated to the T20I squad with the added responsibility of vice-captain, signaling his growing stature across formats.
The announcement was followed by a press conference at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, where chief selector Ajit Agarkar praised Gill’s recent form and leadership qualities.
“We obviously see some leadership qualities in him, and his form in England was what we were hoping for. [He] exceeded all our expectations, which is a great sign when there’s so much pressure as captain.”
Captain Suryakumar Yadav also welcomed Gill’s return, recalling his leadership in previous assignments:
“Last time when he [Gill] played T20 for India, post T20 World Cup when we went to Sri Lanka – not Zimbabwe – when I was leading, he was the vice-captain. So that’s where we started a new cycle. After that, he got busy with all the Test series, and he didn’t get an opportunity to play T20s because he was busy playing Test cricket and Champions Trophy. So he’s there in the squad, and we’re happy to have him.”
Agarkar added further on Gill’s purple patch:
“Gill’s form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all.”
Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal left out
The biggest talking point from the announcement was the absence of Shreyas Iyer, despite his prolific form in IPL 2025 and the Champions Trophy earlier in the year.
Agarkar explained the decision:
“With regard to Shreyas, who can he replace? No fault of his, nor is it ours. At the moment, you can just pick 15. So he will have to wait for his chance.”
Similarly, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has impressed across formats, was left among the reserves. Agarkar emphasized the competition for spots:
“There’s Abhishek Sharma: what he’s done over the last year or so – plus he can bowl a little bit – he gives us that option if required. One of these guys was going to miss out. Yashasvi just has to wait for his chance.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of such calls:
“It’s unfortunate Jaiswal has had to miss out but he will have to wait.”
Agarkar admitted the selectors face an abundance of riches:
“We have got some serious options in T20 squad…sometimes not the easiest squad to pick but good headache to have.”
🚨 A look at #TeamIndia's squad for #AsiaCup 2025 🔽 pic.twitter.com/3VppXYQ5SO
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 19, 2025
Suryakumar sees Asia Cup as key World Cup preparation
India’s T20I captain underlined the importance of the Asia Cup as a launching pad toward the 2026 T20 World Cup.
“This is the first big tournament we are playing since the [2024] T20 World Cup,” Suryakumar said.
“We have played three-four bilateral series. It’s a good tournament to test ourselves. After this, there are a lot of T20s – close to 20-22 T20s in total – before we play our first game in the [2026] World Cup, so I think the journey starts from the Asia Cup.”
India vs Pakistan spotlight, but BCCI keeps questions off-limits
The Asia Cup’s commercial and sporting centerpiece will once again be the India–Pakistan clash on September 14. Broadcasters anticipate record-breaking audiences, and given the nations could meet again in the Super Fours and potentially the final, stakes are high.
However, the BCCI strictly avoided political undertones at the squad press conference, with its media manager cutting off questions about the Pakistan fixture.
When Pakistan unveiled their squad earlier in the week, their high-performance director Aaqib Javed addressed the topic directly at the press conference:
“Everyone knows the situation surrounding the two countries (India and Pakistan). But we don’t need to put extra pressure on them (players).”
Full India squad for Asia Cup 2025
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Rinku Singh
Reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel
