Team India Announced for Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav Named Captain, Shubman Gill Vice-Captain
ndia’s Squad for Asia Cup 2025 Announced
The Board of Selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, has officially announced Team India’s squad for the upcoming T20 Asia Cup, starting September 9 in the UAE. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as captain, while Shubman Gill, the current Test captain, has been named vice-captain.
India will begin its campaign against UAE on September 10.
India’s Asia Cup Squad
Standby Players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Three Key Takeaways from Team Selection
- Gill Named Vice-Captain – Despite doubts earlier, Shubman Gill has secured a spot and has been given the vice-captaincy role. His strong IPL season with 650 runs helped seal his position.
- Siraj and Sundar Miss Out – Young talents like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Harshit Rana made it into the squad, while Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar were left out. Jaiswal and Sundar remain on standby.
- Bumrah’s Return – Jasprit Bumrah returns to T20 cricket after last playing in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final. However, Shreyas Iyer, who had a great IPL run with Punjab Kings, was not selected.
Possible India vs Pakistan Clashes
India and Pakistan are in the same group alongside UAE and Oman. Both teams could meet up to three times in the Asia Cup:
- First Match: September 14 at Dubai International Stadium
- Second Match: If both teams qualify for Super-4, another clash is possible on September 21
- Third Match: If both reach the final, the third encounter will be on September 28
Asia Cup History & Records
The Asia Cup began in 1984 and has been held 16 times so far. India is the most successful team with 8 titles, followed by Sri Lanka with 6 and Pakistan with 2.
Political Tensions Over India-Pakistan Matches
After the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, there has been opposition in India against playing Pakistan. Pakistan, on the other hand, withdrew from the Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar. Even in cricket, former Indian cricketers refused to play Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL).
