As talks about India’s Asia Cup 2025 team selection get stronger, some big players may be left out of the squad. The tournament will be played in the T20 format this time. Reports say players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and B Sai Sudharsan might be dropped by the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar. Now, it is also reported that Rishabh Pant, who is the most expensive player bought in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, may be left out too. Pant was bought for INR 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in last year’s IPL mega auction, but he may not be part of the Asia Cup team.
Pant broke his foot in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against England in Manchester. He got injured on Day 1 when he tried a reverse sweep against England bowler Chris Woakes, and the ball hit his foot.
Even though he was in pain, Pant showed great courage by coming back to bat on Day 2. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter scored a good fifty and helped India draw the fourth Test against England at Manchester. But he was not able to play in the fifth and final Test at The Oval.
Sanju Samson Likely to Lead as India’s No. 1 Wicket-Keeper in Asia Cup 2025
Sanju Samson will lead as India’s first-choice wicket-keeper batter for Asia Cup 2025. Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma compete for the backup spot. The selectors prefer Jitesh Sharma. Even though Rishabh Pant is a famous wicket-keeper batter, the selectors will probably leave him out, according to a report from the Indian Express.
The selectors may also leave out Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. Rahul has not played T20 for India since November 2022 and is unlikely to make the team.
The Indian team trusts players who performed well against England earlier this year. Players like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya helped India win the series 4-1.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir will not change the squad much for the Asia Cup. He will use this tournament to prepare the team for the T20 World Cup next year.
Selectors May Drop Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube for Asia Cup 2025
Rishabh Pant holds the record as the most expensive player in IPL history, but he has not played well in recent T20 matches. He scored only 70 runs in his last five T20 International games last year, with an average of 17.50 and a strike rate of 127.26. The selectors expect more from him after his big IPL auction price.
Shivam Dube’s chances of making the Asia Cup team are low. The selectors will look for other players after his average IPL 2025 performance. A journalist said, “They will probably not pick him for Asia Cup 2025.”
Dube last played a T20 International for India in February against England. He scored 531 runs and took 13 wickets in 35 T20I matches for India. In IPL 2025, Dube scored 357 runs in 14 matches. Chennai Super Kings hardly used his bowling.
India Will Announce Asia Cup 2025 Squad Soon
The Indian selectors will announce the Asia Cup squad on August 20 or 21. Many players must still pass fitness tests at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. India will start the Asia Cup on September 10 against the UAE in Dubai. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) runs the Asia Cup, which started in 1983. Every two years, the best cricket teams from Asia come together to compete for the title.