India's upcoming assignment starts on September 10 in the form of the Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in the T20 format in the United Arab Emirates.
The defending champions will have the hosts, UAE, Pakistan and Oman in their group, followed by a potential knockout round of Super Four.
After a gap of over a month following the tour of England, it is expected that most names will be available for selection in the squad.
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However, with the West Indies Test series lined up, it would be interesting to see if the players from the Test squad make the cut for the tournament.
In this article, TSN takes a comprehensive look at the player pool that India has available for the Asia Cup.
India squad for the Asia Cup 2025: Who will make the cut, who is out and who are on the fringes?
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Shubman Gill, who dominated the England Test series with over 750 runs, may not find a place in the Asia Cup squad. The reason is straightforward: his form came in the longer format while the selectors are focused on a short-format line-up.
Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead the team, with the big names like Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson likely to retain their spots.
The other certainties in the squad will be the likes of the current world number 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma among the batters.
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With Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack and Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana in contention, Siraj could be the odd man out. Hardik Pandya is also expected to feature as the seam-bowling all-rounder.
Veteran Mohammed Shami is reportedly not in consideration for the T20I format, making it a largely youthful fast-bowling group.
Who are the other probables for India's Asia Cup 2025 squad?
Openers: The marquee Test regular Yashasvi Jaiswal is also reported to be in the mix for the Asia Cup, with the T20 World Cup in mind. While the in-form KL Rahul recently had a great IPL season, it is unlikely that he would be included in the T20I set-up as of now.
Middle Order: From the recent squads, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube should ideally make the final squad for the T20I team, however, it is to be seen if Jaiswal's inclusion hurt any of their chances.
Shreyas Iyer is another option who showed a great rhythm with both batting and captaincy in the Punjab Kings' run to the final.
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Additionally, Samson will continue as the wicketkeeper, but the second keeper's spot will be on the line, and Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel will be the frontrunners to grab it.
All-rounders: Ramandeep Singh has been a regular feature in the T20I squad over the course of the ongoing cycle, while Washington Sundar will also be a prominent name who is likely to be included in the team.
Nitish Kumar Reddy's inclusion will depend on how his knee injury from the England tour has healed.
Fast Bowlers: To partner Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, India could be looking at the likes of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna in the fast bowling department.
On the other hand, it is unlikely that Mohammed Siraj or Mohammed Shami will feature in the T20I set-up as of now.
Khaleel Ahmed could be another name discussed in the selection meeting after his good performances in IPL 2025.
Spin Bowlers: India has been going with a spin-heavy bowling line-up in recent white-ball competitions, with Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel certainties in the team.
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Among the other options for Ajit Agarkar and co. will be the world number 7 T20I bowler, Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal.
It is highly unlikely that the 2024 World Champion Chahal will feature in this team.
| Certainties | Probables | Contenders | Unlikely |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suryakumar Yadav | Shubman Gill | KL Rahul | Rishabh Pant |
| Hardik Pandya | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Ishan Kishan | Akash Deep |
| Axar Patel | Shreyas Iyer | Mohammed Shami | Mukesh Kumar |
| Sanju Samson | Jitesh Sharma | Khaleel Ahmed | Yash Dayal |
| Abhishek Sharma | Washington Sundar | Avesh Khan | Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Rinku Singh | Dhruv Jurel | Ravi Bishnoi | Riyan Parag |
| Tilak Varma | Nitish Kumar Reddy | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Yash Thakur |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Harshit Rana | Mohammed Siraj | Shardul Thakur |
| Arshdeep Singh | Prasidh Krishna | ||
| Varun Chakravarthy | Ramandeep Singh | ||
| Shivam Dube | Jasprit Bumrah |