The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is over and it’s time to shift focus back to T20s. With the T20 World Cup 2026 set for February-March, India Cricket Team have five months to decide on the combination. Unlike Test and ODIs, India’s T20I squad has a lot of competition that even the senior pros are not immune to. Irrespective of whether the Asia Cup 2025 should happen or not, the tournament will give the selectors an idea about how the squad should look for the T20 WC. Asia Cup begins on September 9 in the UAE.
With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20Is, this is India’s first multi-nation tournament without those three big names. However, unlike the Test side, the T20I squad is never in transition. Rather, it continues to evolve. During Gautam Gambhir’s coaching tenure, India have played a firebrand of cricket, winning 12 out of 15 T20Is, scoring at 10.28 runs an over. With that philosophy set, the BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will now face a few questions considering how the IPL 2025 went. InsideSport takes a look at all the selection questions for the India squad for Asia Cup 2025.
Who will lead if Suryakumar Yadav misses out?
Unlike in the past, India have split captaincy. Suryakumar Yadav is the leader of the T20I team, Shubman Gill is the captain of the Test team, and Rohit Sharma continues to lead the ODI side. But at the moment, SKY is continuing his rehab following a sports hernia surgery. While the Asia Cup 2025 is still a month away, his return will depend on the rehab progress. Hence, India need a backup captain.
Even though Axar Patel was the vice-captain in the last T20I series and Hardik Pandya was the captain before that, Shubman Gill is the official white-ball vice-captain. Hence, if SKY misses out, Gill will step in as the captain.
Sai Sudharsan over Abhishek Sharma?
Both Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir believe in rewarding domestic performances. Karun Nair got the nod in the Test team. And the selectors have maintained the same consistency in T20Is. While the T20I squad seems set, both Agarkar and Gambhir won’t hesitate to tinker.
Sai Sudharsan, the Orange Cap winner of IPL 2025, is in the fray to get a T20I recall. The 23-year-old scored 759 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 156.17 and an average of 54.21. Sudharsan did not get a chance to bat on his debut in Zimbabwe. Now, if the selectors want to pick him, who does he replace?
India’s top-order in T20Is is packed with some big names. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, apart from vice-captain Shubman Gill, all deserve a place. But the question is, where? Despite an average IPL campaign, Abhishek Sharma has set the tone for opening. And even though he has been inconsistent, he is likely to keep his place.
That leaves Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Samson missed the majority of the matches in IPL due to injury, while Jaiswal scored 559 runs at a strike rate of 159.71. Samson, being a keeper, has an advantage. But selectors have long delayed Jaiswal’s integration into the T20I squad. And they must take a call ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Is there a place for Sanju Samson?
In short, yes, Sanju Samson deserves a place in the squad and the Playing XI. However, selectors will note Samson’s injury absence in the IPL 2025 and others performing while he was away. Despite being in and out and having inconsistencies, Samson has shown glimpses of what he could do. In the last 24 months, Samson has scored three centuries, a half-century at a strike rate of 167.07.
However, in those 21 innings, Samson also scored five ducks and as many single-digit scores. In India’s last T20I series against England, Samson scored 26, 5, 3, 1 and 16. In the IPL 2025, he scored 285 runs at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of just 140.39. His recent form could lead to his demotion in India’s T20I squad.
Wicketkeeper battle
India have been graced with many big-hitting wicketkeepers in T20s. Samson is one, while there are Jitesh Sharma, Dhruv Jurel, Ishan Kishan, Prabhsimran Singh and not to leave out, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. While many would argue about Rishabh Pant’s T20 form, one should remind them about his 61-ball 118-run knock in his last T20 innings.
At the top order, Sanju Samson and Prabhsimran Singh have both done well in the last 12 months. However, with the top order crowded, India could look at Jitesh Sharma as an alternative. He has a strike rate of 190.38, best among the lot, at No 6/7. That could help India use him as a finisher, like Dinesh Karthik in the past.
| Player | Inn | Runs | SR | Avg | Best | 50 | 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | 26 | 838 | 160.84 | 34.91 | 111 | 2 | 3 |
| Rishabh Pant | 13 | 269 | 133.16 | 24.45 | 118 | 1 | 1 |
| KL Rahul | 13 | 539 | 149.72 | 53.9 | 112 | 3 | 1 |
| Ishan Kishan | 19 | 515 | 157.01 | 34.33 | 106 | 2 | 1 |
| Dhruv Jurel | 15 | 339 | 152.7 | 30.81 | 70 | 2 | 0 |
| Jitesh Sharma | 17 | 396 | 190.38 | 36 | 85 | 1 | 0 |
| Prabhsimran Singh | 26 | 819 | 162.17 | 31.5 | 91 | 5 | 0 |
Should India look back at KL Rahul & Rishabh Pant?
There are two big names in the wicketkeeping competition: KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. KL Rahul, who has kept wickets for India and in the IPL, could be considered based on his form in the IPL and also in England. But Rahul is also a top-order batter. While he has changed his batting approach to a more aggressive one, the space constraints in the India T20I Playing XI could play a role against his selection. Raul last played a T20I back in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Similarly, Rishabh Pant hasn’t yet excelled as a T20 batter. In the IPL 2025, his 118-run knock in the last match was the only big contribution. Barring that, Pant averaged below 15. While Pant could be a middle-order batter, there is competition too.
What about Shreyas Iyer?
Ignored from Test and T20I, Shreyas Iyer has quietly made a case. In the IPL 2025, he led Punjab Kings to the final with some fiery batting. Iyer scored 604 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 175.07, the best among the Top 5. In the last 12 months, Iyer has hammered 949 runs in 25 innings at a strike rate of 179.73 and an average of 49.94 in T20s. That should be enough to call him back.
However, at the moment, for him to come back to the T20I side for the first time since 2023, India will have to drop Tilak Varma. The young Mumbai Indians batter has been in fine form. In the last 12 months, Varma has smashed three centuries and five fifties in 32 innings, averaging 50.00 while maintaining a strike rate of 153.84. His off-spin bowling will also help India. That could jeopardise Iyer’s selection.
Competition for all-rounders
While Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will be the two designated all-rounders, there could be space for one or two more in the line-up. Gambhir and Agarkar could look at Washington Sundar for his skill set as a second spinner. With the pitches in the UAE set to assist slow bowlers and spinners, Sundar could come in handy.
As for Hardik’s backup, Nitish Kumar Reddy could be an option, considering his skill as a seam bowler. While Reddy is currently injured with no timeline on his return, if he is fit, Gambhir could be tempted to pick him as a backup.
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