Shubman Gill unlikely for Asia Cup squad as Ajit Agarkar all set to reward Shreyas Iyer: Report

Ajit Agarkar and the rest of the All India Men's Senior Selection Committee will convene on Tuesday, August 19, to pick the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Suryakumar Yadav has cleared the fitness Test and is all set to lead India in the eight-team tournament, beginning September 9. There are several major decisions in front of the selectors. However, the biggest question is whether there can be a place for Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The selectors will pick the Asia Cup squad on Tuesday, August 19. (AFP)

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have made the most of their chances in the shortest format. Hence, there are no grounds for dropping them. However, Shubman Gill (Test captain) and Jaiswal are two of the biggest names in Indian cricket right now. Hence, it needs to be seen whether the selectors are willing to take a brave call and keep the duo out for now.

According to a report in Sportstar, the selectors are all set to make a bold call and leave Gill and Jaiswal out of the squad for the Asia Cup. Ajit Agarkar is all set to retain the core group that has excelled under Gambhir in T20Is recently.

The Asia Cup ends on September 28, and the first Test against the West Indies begins on October 2. Considering the turnaround period, the selectors are likely to keep Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal fresh for the red-ball assignments.

The same report states that Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma are likely to earn call-ups into the Asia Cup squad. In IPL 2025, Jitesh Sharma impressed one and all with his big-hitting exploits for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who won their maiden title.

Also Read: Shubman Gill for Asia Cup may look tempting, but it could severely backfire on Team India in more ways than one

Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to the IPL final, but they fell short against RCB in the summit clash. Neither Jitesh nor Shreyas has played in T20Is since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach. Shreyas last played a T20I in December 2023, while Jitesh made his last appearance in January 2024.

Why pick Shreyas Iyer?

According to the report, the selectors want an experienced middle-order batter in the conditions of the UAE for the Asia Cup. Hence, Shreyas Iyer is all but set to be picked. It must be mentioned that the right-handed batter played a crucial role in the UAE in the Champions Trophy 2025, which India eventually won after beating New Zealand in the summit clash.

If Shreyas is indeed picked, then one between Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh might have to be dropped. Both Dube and Rinku were part of India's squad for the five-match T20I series against England in January 2025.

Suryakumar Yadav will be attending the selection meeting for the Asia Cup. The tournament will begin on September 9 with India playing their first match on September 10 against the UAE.

India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, UAE and Oman.

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