The All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, has announced the much-awaited Members squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, set to be played in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament will feature eight teams, and India enters the event with a balanced mix of youth and experience.
Captaincy and Leadership Group
Suryakumar Yadav has been handed the captaincy role once again, while Shubman Gill has been named as the vice-captain.
Interestingly, Gill, despite his leadership status, will not open the innings for India in the Asia Cup. Instead, he will be busy leading North Zone in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, which overlaps with the continental event.
Opening Combination: Abhishek Sharma & Sanju Samson
The management has chosen an aggressive opening pair in Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. While there were strong murmurs about Gill taking up the opener’s slot, the selectors have backed Samson’s versatility and Abhishek’s recent domestic form to give India a flying start in the powerplay overs.asia
Notable Inclusions and Talking Points
Jasprit Bumrah makes a surprising appearance in the squad, despite expectations of being rested to manage workload. With the T20 format limiting his overs, the selectors feel it is the right time to utilize his match-winning abilities.
Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel return to strengthen the all-round department.
Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav bring in wrist-spin variety for the middle overs.
Harshit Rana, the promising young pacer, has earned his maiden Asia Cup call-up.
Rinku Singh also finds a place, giving India a much-needed finisher’s option.
Full India Squad for Asia Cup 2025
Suryakumar Yadav (C)
Shubman Gill (VC)
Abhishek Sharma
Tilak Varma
Hardik Pandya
Shivam Dube
Axar Patel
Jitesh Sharma (WK)
Jasprit Bumrah
Arshdeep Singh
Varun Chakravarthy
Kuldeep Yadav
Sanju Samson (WK)
Harshit Rana
Rinku Singh