Gill, Siraj could miss out on India's Asia Cup squad
What's the story
The Indian selectors are set to meet in Mumbai on Tuesday (August 19) to finalize the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. However, some of the top performers from India's recent England tour, including star batter Shubman Gill and spearhead Mohammed Siraj, could miss out, as per a report in Cricbuzz. Here are further details on the same.
Selection criteria
Format differences and team composition preferences
Gill's impressive run in England Tests, second only to Sunil Gavaskar's aggregate, could be overshadowed by the fact that those runs came in five-day games. The Asia Cup is a short T20I championship. Despite his stellar IPL performance as an opener, speculation suggests that the selectors are likely to stick with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson for the opening pair. Yashasvi Jaiswal is in contention for a back-up opening spot in the squad.
Squad composition
Other batting spots and uncertainties
The rest of the batting spots in the squad are likely to be filled by Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh, although Rinku's inclusion is speculative and not confirmed. Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar are in contention for one remaining slot. It is expected that Jitesh Sharma will take the second wicketkeeper's spot. However, Shreyas Iyer's inclusion remains uncertain despite his impressive performance. As per The Hindu, If Iyer is picked, there could be a toss up between left-handers Dube and Rinku.
Bowling lineup
Siraj's place remains uncertain despite his stellar performance
Despite being the highest wicket-taker in the England Test series with a spirited performance, Siraj's place in the squad remains uncertain. Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead the attack, with spots likely for Arshdeep Singh and either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana. Hardik Pandya will also be included as a pacer. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami is unlikely to be considered after his last appearance in India's last T20I against England.
Information
What about the spin department?
The spin department is likely to be led by Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and vice-captain Axar Patel. Washington is expected to be included after his last appearance in February's T20I squad.