With the Asia Cup 2025 just weeks away, India’s squad was announced in Mumbai by captain Suryakumar Yadav and Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar. The announcement created immediate buzz, not just for the players included but also for some of the high-profile names who missed out. Among them were Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, while Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel joined Sundar, Krishna and Jaiswal on the standby list. One of the biggest talking points after the squad announcement was India’s opening combination. Agarkar explained that there are several strong options at the top of the order. “Gill and Sanju – two very good opening options to have alongside Abhishek Sharma. Captain and coach will take the call after reaching Dubai,” he said. Abhishek, who is currently India’s No. 1 ranked T20I batter, has been in superb form and is expected to retain his place as an opener. The question, however, is whether Shubman Gill partners him at the top or slides down to No. 3. Another option is Sanju Samson, who has previously opened alongside Abhishek in India’s recent T20I games. If Gill opens, Sanju may have to slot into the middle order, but if Gill bats at No. 3, Sanju could continue his role at the top.
Poll
Should Shubman Gill bat at No. 3 instead of opening?
India’s Asia Cup squad features Suryakumar Yadav as captain with Gill as his deputy. Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel provide all-round depth, while Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh lead the pace attack. The Asia Cup will be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28 in the T20I format. India is placed in Group A with Pakistan, UAE and Oman. Their campaign begins against UAE on September 10 in Dubai, followed by the high-voltage clash with Pakistan on September 14, also in Dubai. The group stage concludes against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi before the Super 4 stage begins. With the top-order combination still undecided, the focus will be on how India balances power and stability, and whether Gill, Sanju or both are ready to adapt as the team chases another continental title.
