Asia Cup 2025 Squad Analysis Shubman Gill’s Big Return and Shocking Exclusions Introduction to the Squad Announcement For the past week, there’s been a buzz that this player will play, that player will be dropped, this one will be wronged, and that one will make it to the team. Now, the Asia Cup squad has been announced, and the clarity we were waiting for has arrived. Key Highlights of the Squad Let’s first highlight what stands out in this Asia Cup squad. The biggest highlight is that Shubman Gill has not only made a comeback to the T20 team but has also secured a spot in the playing 11 and has been named vice-captain. This is a big and bold move, and we’ll discuss it further. However, another major highlight is that Shreyas Iyer has not been included. Another key point is that Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose performance in international T20s has been far superior to others, has also been left out. Jasprit Bumrah is in the squad, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy are the spinners, Harshit Rana has been selected, and Arshdeep Singh and Bumrah are the other pacers. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj didn’t make the cut. Sanju Samson is in, but it seems unlikely he’ll be in the playing 11. He’ll likely be the second wicketkeeper because, in my opinion, Jitesh Sharma will not only keep wickets but also be part of the playing 11. That’s the overall story. The Openers Debate Now, let’s start from the beginning, with the openers, because the biggest discussion around this squad was whether the openers would remain the same. Would Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson open, or would one of the previous openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill, get a spot The clarity on Abhishek Sharma is that he maintains the highest strike rate since the T20 World Cup—around 199, close to 200—and he also bowls. So, you can’t replace him; he will play. For the second opening slot, there were three options Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson. You might feel bad for Jaiswal because, statistically, he’s far ahead of Gill. Jaiswal has a strike rate of over 165 and an average of over 35, while Gill has an average of 30 and a strike rate of 139. Jaiswal’s numbers are better, but it seems BCCI is investing heavily in Shubman Gill, possibly eyeing him as an all-format captain in the future. Shubman Gill’s Selection and Future Prospects This question was also posed to Suryakumar Yadav—whether he’d be the full-time captain. He dodged it, saying, “Why are you asking me Ask someone else.” But it seems otherwise, there’s no other logic for selecting Gill. I had mentioned in earlier videos that there were only two possibilities for Gill either he wouldn’t make the team because his spot wasn’t justified, or he’d come in as vice-captain and play directly in the 11. And that’s exactly what happened. Either his spot wasn’t justified logically, or BCCI is backing his talent so much, believing he’s a once-in-a-generation player and their future captain. That’s why they’re investing in him, sidelining players like Jaiswal or Samson. There’s no other logic. As I said, Jaiswal’s stats are better—an average of 36 compared to Gill’s 30, and a massive gap in strike rate. Gill plays at a strike rate of 130-140, while Jaiswal plays at 160-180. That’s a huge difference. Impact on the Batting Order Gill hasn’t been a regular in T20s, but he’s come straight in as vice-captain, which will cause significant changes in the batting order. The biggest impact is that Sanju Samson’s spot in the playing 11 is likely gone. I’m assuming Samson won’t be in the 11 unless someone like Jaiswal, Gill, or Abhishek is dropped or falls ill, which seems unlikely. It appears BCCI is grooming Gill as an all-format captain, and that’s why this has happened. In T20s, Gill’s stats are 578 runs in 21 matches, an average of 30, and a strike rate of 139. If you exclude his century, his average drops to 22 with a strike rate of 132, which is average for T20s. Similar things were said about Gill in Test cricket—that he was average and didn’t deserve a spot. But in the last series, when given more responsibility and captaincy, he showed his potential by scoring 750 runs, outshining even Jaiswal. I usually talk up Jaiswal in Tests because I think he’s a better player, but Gill proved in the last series that he can deliver big when trusted with responsibility. Backing Gill, Feeling for Samson So, I’m not negative about Gill this time; I’m positive. Since he’s been selected, I’ll back him. However, I feel a bit bad for Samson because this always happens to him. Every time, he’s reluctantly picked as a wicketkeeper. This time, it feels like the keeper was chosen to accommodate Gill. Last time, Ishan Kishan was there, but his performance was average, so Jitesh Sharma was brought in. Jitesh wasn’t even a backup keeper last time—Kishan was the main keeper, and Samson was the backup. But now, Samson will likely be the backup because he doesn’t bat lower down; he bats in the top order, and the top order is packed with Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav at three, Tilak Varma at four, or maybe Tilak at three and Suryakumar at four. There’s no room for Samson. Hardik Pandya comes in at five, followed by others lower down. Jitesh, being a finisher, fits in, so he’s likely to be selected. Performance Metrics and Comparisons You feel bad for Samson because he hasn’t done anything wrong. If you look at strike rates since the T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma has a strike rate of 193, almost 194. Samson’s is 171, but he won’t play. Tilak Varma is at 170, Jaiswal at 170, Shivam Dube at 167, Suryakumar at 161, and Gill at 129. So, Gill is the weakest link in this chain. But as Harbhajan Singh said, Gill is technically sound and can play faster if he wants to. I believe Gill has been given a task by the team to go out, express himself, and play freely. If he does that and India performs well, great. Otherwise, they’ll reassess. But Gill is vice-captain, while Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer have been dropped, which is a bit shocking. Shreyas Iyer’s Exclusion You feel bad for Iyer because he’s an all-format player in the form of his life. The matches are in the UAE, Dubai, where the pitches suit him, with more spin. He performs well there, but he hasn’t been picked. Iyer deserved a spot. Ajit Agarkar’s statement was that neither Iyer is wrong nor are we wrong—both are right in their own way. Fine, we’ll accept that logic. As for the Samson-Jitesh competition, as I mentioned, the overall story is that Gill has been backed heavily, causing several players to be sidelined. The Final Squad Breakdown Let me give you the squad Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma. The names were listed in this order, so assume this is the batting order Abhishek and Gill to open, Suryakumar at three, Tilak at four, Hardik at five, Dube or Axar at six, and Jitesh at seven. Then come Bumrah, Arshdeep, Varun Chakravarthy. Optional players include Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav—one of them might shuffle in or out. I’m assuming Samson is out of the 11. Five standby players have been selected, though at least four of them deserved a spot in the main squad. But you can only pick 15, so who do you choose Notable Absences and Standby Players For instance, Prasidh Krishna is a quality bowler. You could’ve replaced one of the selected fast bowlers with him. There was a lot of talk about Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube—about who would be picked. But since Axar Patel is an important player and was previously vice-captain, and Varun Chakravarthy is already in, Washington wasn’t selected. Rinku Singh was prioritized as a specialist finisher batsman. Otherwise, Washington deserved a spot too. Riyan Parag has been hot and cold over the past year. Ishan Kishan could be a backup keeper if needed. Jaiswal deserved a spot, and Shreyas Iyer wasn’t even kept as a standby. So, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, and Jaiswal are three players who I think deserved a spot. Rinku Singh’s inclusion is interesting—a good choice prioritizing class over form. Reflections on Selection Choices Overall, it’s fine, but some big names are missing Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, and you could add Prasidh Krishna. I really liked what Krishna did in the IPL, but he wasn’t rewarded. Gill, on the other hand, has been rewarded because they see him as an all-format captain. They expect him to work on his strike rate to become even better. This has come at the cost of sidelining Samson and Iyer. You feel bad for Iyer—he wasn’t picked for the England Test series or the Asia Cup. Jaiswal’s case is similar; he’s performing well but lacks PR. There’s a difference between love and PR. Jaiswal knows how to score runs, but he’s been sidelined. Favoritism and PR in Selections There’s some favoritism visible in the team, like a KKR quota. You feel bad for Samson. There’s a quota, there’s favoritism, and PR makes a difference. But ultimately, it’s about performance. Those who didn’t get a chance can only sit back because those selected are also good players. However, you could argue that some of those left out are better than those picked, like Jaiswal, who deserved a spot. Jaiswal and Abhishek could’ve both been in the team, but Jaiswal was overlooked. Abhishek got the edge because he bowls a bit and bats like the ideal opener. KL Rahul wasn’t even mentioned anywhere, which is a bit shocking since many thought he’d make a comeback. Call to Action Overall, what do you think of this team How would you rate it out of 10 Who’s in your playing 11 Let us know in the comments, and also tell us which player deserved a spot but was left out, and who you feel bad for—Iyer, Krishna, Washington, Riyan Parag, or Jaiswal