Ajit Agarkar, along with the rest of the selection committee, will finalize India’s Asia Cup squad on Tuesday, August 19.
Selectors Face Tough Calls Ahead of Asia Cup
Ajit Agarkar and the All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 19, to finalize India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, starting September 9. Suryakumar Yadav has cleared his fitness test and is set to lead the side in the eight-team tournament.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have delivered consistently in the shortest format, making their places secure. However, the biggest question is whether Test captain Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will find a spot. According to Sportstar, the selectors are expected to make a bold call by excluding the duo, preferring to keep them fresh for the Test series against the West Indies, which begins on October 2, just days after the Asia Cup concludes on September 28.
In their place, Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma are likely to return to the T20I setup. Iyer impressed by leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, while Jitesh was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden title run with his explosive batting. Neither has featured in T20Is since Gautam Gambhir took charge as head coach, with Shreyas Iyer last playing in December 2023 and Jitesh in January 2024.
Why pick Shreyas Iyer?
According to reports, the selectors are keen on including an experienced middle-order batter for the Asia Cup in the UAE, with Shreyas Iyer emerging as the frontrunner. The right-hander played a pivotal role in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in the same conditions, where India defeated New Zealand in the final.
If Iyer makes the cut, one of Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh may have to miss out. Both were part of India’s squad in the five-match T20I series against England earlier this year.
