Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are unlikely to feature in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025. Instead, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer is expected to make a comeback.
According to a Sportstar report on Sunday (August 17), Iyer is being considered as a middle-order option. The right-hander last played a T20I in December 2023 against Australia in Bengaluru. More recently, he represented India in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, where he finished as the team’s highest run-getter with 243 runs in five matches.
The Asia Cup—also set to be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28—offers similar conditions. Sources say the selectors and team management believe Iyer’s experience in slow, tricky conditions could be vital. His inclusion, however, might come at the cost of Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh, both of whom featured in India’s last T20I series against England in January.
Iyer, who led Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, enjoyed an excellent season, scoring 604 runs. Overall, he has 1,104 runs in 51 T20Is for India.
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Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma, the RCB wicketkeeper-batter, is set to return as Sanju Samson’s deputy. Jitesh last played a T20I in January 2024 against Afghanistan. Interestingly, neither Iyer nor Jitesh has featured in a T20I since Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach in July 2024.
Gill and Jaiswal, on the other hand, last played a T20I in July 2024 against Sri Lanka. Both were in fine form during IPL 2025 and, on numbers alone, deserved selection. But with the likes of Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma performing consistently under Gambhir’s leadership, the management is reluctant to disrupt a winning combination.
India have won 13 of their 15 T20Is since Gambhir became head coach, a record that strengthens the case for sticking with the current core group. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has recovered from a sports hernia, will also be part of the selection meeting. His presence is expected to play a key role in shaping the squad with one eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in India.
Another factor in the selectors’ thinking is workload management. With the Asia Cup final scheduled for September 28 and a Test series against West Indies starting just four days later in Ahmedabad, Gill and Jaiswal are likely being preserved for red-ball duties.
