Chandigarh, Aug 19: India announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup on Tuesday, naming Test skipper Shubman Gill as vice-captain and recalling pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the tournament, which begins September 9 in the UAE.
Gill, who last played a T20 international against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2024, replaces Axar Patel as deputy to captain Suryakumar Yadav. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Gill’s recent performances in England had forced the selectors’ hand. “Gill’s form in England was something we expected, but he exceeded it all,” Agarkar noted at the press conference.
Bumrah’s inclusion ended weeks of speculation over his fitness, as doubts had lingered about his availability with India set to host the West Indies for a home Test series in October. The selectors decided to include him nevertheless, making this his first T20 appearance since last year’s World Cup.
The squad also features left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, while Jitesh Sharma has been picked as the back-up wicketkeeper-batter. Among the standby players is Yashasvi Jaiswal, who narrowly missed out on the main squad. “It’s unfortunate Jaiswal has had to miss out, but he will have to wait,” Agarkar said.
Another notable absentee is Shreyas Iyer, who was instrumental in taking Punjab Kings to the IPL final earlier this year. Agarkar explained that his omission was the result of stiff competition. “We have got some serious options in the T20 squad,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not the easiest squad to pick, but it’s a good headache to have.”
India has been placed in Group A of the Asia Cup, alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the host nation UAE.
India’s 15-member squad for Asia Cup:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
