Washington Sundar’s exclusion too raised eyebrows. The all-rounder impressed in the recent Test series against England but was only included as a reserve. The selectors instead went with the spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy for the UAE pitches.
“Sundar is always in the scheme of things. This is not the final squad for the World Cup. We have three spinners at the moment, whether we need four, it can always come into the equation. We have got Rinku as an extra batter which we might require,” Agarkar said.
Prasidh Krishna, despite winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets in 15 matches, also found himself relegated to the standbys. With Jasprit Bumrah returning to white-ball cricket, selectors allegedly opted for the proven combination of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Mohammed Siraj, who picked up 16 IPL wickets and was instrumental in the Test series win against England, was also overlooked, leaving India’s pace attack under scrutiny.
There had been lingering doubts about Bumrah’s availability due to the short gap between the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai and India’s first Test against the West Indies beginning October 2 in Ahmedabad. Nevertheless, the selectors brought him back, making this his first T20 tournament since last year’s World Cup.
Agarkar explained: “There’s no written plan at the moment. We have had a nice break from the England series. We are trying to look after him. Most fast bowlers are monitored and it won’t change. How we require him (for future tournaments) is also important.”
Kuldeep Yadav has also been drafted in, while Jitesh Sharma was named as the back-up wicketkeeper batter. Agarkar said Jitesh has “evolved a lot” as a T20 batter.
The wicketkeeper-batter shone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025, regularly providing vital runs down the order. Skipper Suryakumar echoed the view.
“He’s taken one game at a time. The way he did in the IPL and also in the domestic tournaments which he played, the T20s and the one-dayers, he’s done really well and he’s earned his spot again,” Suryakumar stated.
Agarkar acknowledged that with names like Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma included despite mixed IPL form, the squad was built around balance and defined roles, keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind.
“We have got some serious options in T20 squad… sometimes not the easiest squad to pick but good headache to have,” he remarked.
India squad for Asia Cup 2025:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), 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.
Standby players:
Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will not only test India’s chosen 15 but also intensify debates over the players left behind. With competition for spots at its fiercest, Gill’s appointment as vice-captain and the high-profile omissions underline both the depth and ruthlessness of Indian cricket’s T20 selection landscape.
(With inputs from PTI)