The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-man squad that will travel to UAE for the Asia Cup 2025 next month.
India Test captain Shubman Gill was named in the squad and was declared as the vice-captain of the side, as Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out. Gill, along with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, will make up India's opening options in the tournament.
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Kolkata Knight Riders middle-order batter Rinku Singh was picked in the team, despite speculations that the southpaw might be overlooked, while Mumbai Indians' Tilak Varma too was included.
Other than Jaiswal, another notable absentee from the team is Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, who had an impressive outing in the Indian Premier League 2025 and had led his team to the final of the competition.
Did Shreyas Iyer deserve a place in India's Asia Cup 2025 squad? PBKS captain's T20 stats since 2024 listed
After being dropped from the BCCI's central contract last year, Iyer toiled hard in the domestic circuit and played plenty of matches to prove his mettle and stage a comeback to the Indian side.
He has featured in white-ball as well as red-ball domestic tournaments, including T20 competitions like Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while also leading PBKS to the final of IPL 2025.
READ: 'Shreyas Iyer will be next India ODI captain' - Rayudu
Iyer, who was released by KKR at the IPL 2025 mega auction, was picked up for big money by the Preity Zinta-owned franchise and Iyer paid back the team's trust by scoring more than 600 runs in the season.
MORE: Who will open for India in Asia Cup 2025?
Shreyas Iyer T20 stats since 2014
| Tournament | Runs | Avg. | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMAT 2024 | 345 | 49.3 | 188.5 |
| IPL 2025 | 604 | 50.3 | 175.1 |
| T20 cricket | 1300 | 46.4 | 169.4 |
15-man India squad for Asia Cup 2025
Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Standbys: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag.