With that we come to the end of this live coverage of India's Asia Cup squad announcement. Do log in to sports.ndtv.com for sports news from around the world. 

Asia Cup schedule

India's group fixtures in the Asia Cup:

10 September – UAE v India, Dubai

14 September – India v Pakistan, Dubai

19 September – India v Oman, Dubai

Super Fours

20-26 September in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Final

28 September in Dubai

That was what Ajit Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav said at the press conference. With Shubman Gill being named the T20 vice-captain, is he on the path to be an all-format captain? All indications point to that direction.

"The playing XI, well once we get to Dubai, we will probably have a bit more idea. But like I said, there are a bit more options now. Shubman has been in great form anyways over the last few months. Even when he has played T20, so has Sanju. We also have Abhishek. When they get to Dubai, they will look at it and decide the best XI," Ajit Agarkar said.   

So, does Sanju Samson gets pushed down the order?

"Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly makes it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy," Agarkar said.

"Like I said, he (Shubman) was (the) vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket. That was after the last World Cup so even at that point, clearly we were thinking along those lines. Now that he's available, at least he (Suryakumar) has two options. It's their headache to pick the batting lineup (now); ours was to pick the 15 and so. But we've got some real depth as far as T20 cricket is concerned and we are very happy with it."

Will Shubman Gill open for India, or he will be the backup opener with Abhishek Sharma being the top choice? 

"When you pick a T20 squad, you look at the IPL performance as well. Because there were so many overlapping T20 series, there were so many guys who ended up playing the T20 cricket when the guys who were playing Test cricket were not available. That does not take anything away from them as T20 players. There is so much competition. We are quite happy," Ajit Agarkar on IPL being a benchmark for Asia Cup squad selection.

"At the moment no one is missing due to injury. We are quite happy with the 15 that we have picked," Agarkar clarified.

"Every series you play is a challenge. With all such lovely players around, my job is easy. It's a great feeling," Suryakumar Yadav said.

"Not the final squad for the World Cup. At the moment we have three spinners in the squad. Whenever you need four spinners, he (Washington Sundar) might always come in you in the equation. At the moment we though, Rinku Singh is the spare batter that we need. Jitesh and Sanju are the wicketkeepers. We can only pick 15, had there been 16, he might have been there," Agarkar said.

While there were doubts over Jasprit Bumrah's availability, after his workload came under focus, the star pacer is part of the squad. "Clearly, we want him available for all the big games. I know in international cricket, every game is a big game. But there are World Cups, there is Champions Trophy or big series like England or Australia. We want him available all the time," Agarkar said.

"Most fast bowlers are monitored and yes, because he has picked up an injury over the last 2-3 years. It's extra attention on how unique and how special he is and it won't change. It won't change whether it's this series or in the next six months."

"With 20 games left, you have a fair idea on who your guys are likely to be. After every World Cup, you try and plan for the next one...trim down the squad as close you get. With what 22 games you play, you have a fair idea. Injuries and form can dictate a little bit. There might be changes, there are no guarantees. But in general, because there is a World Cup around the corner, you will always know who are your best 18 or 20 guys to pick from. An I think you have got some serious options," Ajit Agarkar said on the core for the T20 World Cup.

"I can discuss with you right now. Test cricket he is already leading, Surya mentioned he was the vice-captain when he played T20 cricket for India. His form in England exceeded our expectations. I can only talk about T20 and Tests. With Yashasvi Jaiswal, it's just unfortunate. Abhishek Sharma, what he has done in the last few months or a year plus that he can bowl a little bit. One of these guys were always going to miss out. It's unfortunate that Yashasvi Jaiswal might have to wait for his chance. With regards to Shreyas, I mean...you will have to tell me who he can replace. Again no fault of his, nor is it ours. At the moment he will have to wait for his chance," Agarkar on Jaiswal and Iyer being snubbed.      

"I think this is the first big tournament that we are playing after the T20 World Cup. We played three-four bilateral series but it's a good tournament to test ourselves. After this too there are many T20s. It starts with the Asia Cup," Suryakumar Yadav said on what lies ahead for the Indian team leading up to the T20 World Cup.
"The preparation is obviously...we had a little bit of idea after the last World Cup, which way we are going to go. But as you get closer, you know who your 16-17-18 are. You want to try and give them the best possible opportunity to be in the best shape going into the World Cup. So yeah, it starts now," Ajit Agarkar said this on T20 World Cup plans.  

"After every World Cup, you try and plan for the next one with a reasonable idea - 21 or 25 whatever that number is. With 22 games now, before we play, form could dictate a part. Nothing is guaranteed. We have got some serious options in the  T20 squad," Ajit Agarkar said on the Asia Cup squad being the one that will play the T20 World Cup too. 

"Last time when he played T20 for India, post T20 World Cup when we went to Sri Lanka not Zimbabwe, there he was the vice-captain. That's where we started a new cycle for T20 World Cup. After that he got busy with all the Test series. He did not get opportunity in the format. We are happy to have him," Suryakumar Yadav said on Shubman Gill's inclusion as vice-captain.

"It's very unfortunate for Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Abhishek doing well, he can bowl as well - one of the two was going to miss out - same with Shreyas, not his fault. With respect to Shreyas Iyer, who can he replace? It's no fault of his, but neither ours," BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said. 

In fact Shreyas Iyer has not found a place in the standby list as well. Towards the middle of the press conference, it was announced that there were five stand by players. The five reserve players are: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel 

While Shubman Gill (VC) and Jasprit Bumrah have found a place, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been omitted. Rinku Singh also finds a place. 

The Selection Committee Meeting for #TeamIndia #AsiaCup squad selection is underway! pic.twitter.com/GAlpyDlzyf

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 19, 2025

The selection meeting has started after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has arrived at the headquarters for the squad announcement. The PC will start at 2:45 PM. 

"Tilak batted at No. 3 after SKY gave up the place. The question is going to be whether SKY will bat at No. 3 or not. The question for me would be whether it would be Tilak or Iyer. I would sway towards Shreyas Iyer," Nayar said.   

There is also talk about Shreyas Iyer missing the bus for the Asia Cup. "You should make a spot for him, in whose place that is the secondary question," Aakash Chopra said. The Punjab Kings captain was in phenomenal form in the IPL, being their top scorer. Abhishek Nayar, who is a former assistant coach of the Indian team, says his last T20I innings, back in 2024, earned him a Man of the Match award. That's how impactful he can be. 

Aakash Chopra says he would rather have Yashasvi Jaiswal as back up opener than Shubman Gill. The reason behind his logic is that it would not look nice for the India Test captain, who was in terrific form in England, warming the bench. Jaiswal has the ability to play maverick sort of innings too.

And the live streaming for the Asia Cup squad announcement build-up programme has started. Abhishek Nayar and Aakash Chopra are in. They are discussing about Shubman Gill.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and some BCCI selectors are yet to land in Mumbai. Only Suryakumar Yadav and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar have arrived. It means that there will be a delay in the announcement of the team.

There is a bad news coming in. Due to rain there is severe flight disruption in Mumbai, which has affected the travel plans of the important members of the selection panel. BCCI sources have confirmed that there is no assurance on when the PC for the squad announcement will start.  

With Suryakumar Yadav already in BCCI headquarters, we can be rest assured that the team is going to be out in sometime from now. However, unlike any other series, this Asia Cup squad will not be a straightforward call. Several player who featured in the England series will miss out. Some reports suggest that even Shubman Gill's place is not certain despite scoring 750+ runs in five matches vs England. 

While Sanju Samson is a starter in India's T20I squad, the back-up role will likely go to Jitesh Sharma, with Dhruv Jurel being his closest competitor. There's been little to no discussion around KL Rahul's potential selection despite the talent he has. While many consider Rahul's T20 batting as 'conservative' for modern-day cricket, he has showed exemplary signs of change in the IPL 2025 season for Delhi Capitals. What does he need to do to be considered for next year's T20 World Cup, if not for Asia Cup this year?

Despite heavy rainfall in Mumbai, India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has reached the BCCI headquarters for the Asia Cup squad selection. If the other members reach in time, the meeting can begin shortly. 

R Ashwin made quite a few bold selection calls as he shared his opinion on the 15-member squad that the BCCI is set to pick shortly. Ashwin doesn't feel Shivam Dube will get the selection committee's nod, but he did name the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Kuldeep Yadav in his team. 

The extreme weather conditions in Mumbai are set to take a toll on the Ajit Agarkar-Suryakumar Yadav press conference in Mumbai today. Though the original start time is 1:30 PM, the BCCI has confirmed that the presser could be delayed due to the poor weather conditions in the city. 

"Kindly note that the first press conference is expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions," the BCCI told NDTV.

Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken 33 wickets in 18 T20Is so far for India, has been toiling hard in the domestic circuit to prepare for the Asia Cup.

"The Asia Cup is coming up, and for the white-ball players, they have got a good break after the IPL. I did play TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League), but still I have got a one-month break right now. It has been a good time to work on my strength and conditioning, fitness, my bowling, my batting, and everything. I got time to rejuvenate my entire self in a holistic way. Feeling better because I got a lot of time to spend with my kid, my wife, my parents. Yes, I think, I have put in the hard yards. Now, the rest is up to the bigger force," he told RevSportz.

Apart from the announcement of the men's team squad for Asia Cup 2025, the selection committee will also name the team for the Women's ODI World Cup. The squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia is also to be announced today by the committee. 

While Axar Patel is a certain pick in the Indian team for the Asia Cup, spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar is also in the mix. However, only one of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi might get the nod. Varun is undoubtedly the No. 1 contender but it would be interesting to see if another specialist spinner is picked in the roster by Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee. 

A look at the top contenders for respective positions ahead of the official squad announcement today:

Batters: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Sai Sudharsan

Wicket-keepers: Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Dhruv Jurel

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar

Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi

Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

This is the reason why the team managemnt doesn't want to make big changes to the T20I squad:

Abhishek Sharma - 535 runs, 16 innings, 193.84 SR, 100s: 2, 50s: 2, 6s: 41

Sanju Samson - 487 runs, 16 innings, 171.47 SR, 100s: 3, 50s: 1, 6s: 34

Tilak Varma - 413 runs, 9 innings, 170.66 SR, 100s: 2, 50s: 1, 6s: 27

Hardik Pandya - 320 runs, 13 innings, 145.45 SR, 50s: 1, 6s: 13

These are India's top run-getters in the T20Is since the T20 World Cup 2024. However, if IPL numbers are considered, the story flips!

Krisnamachari Srikkanth, a World Cup winner for India, is baffled by the chatter around Shubman Gill's potential inclusion in the T20I team for the Asia Cup.

"If Shubman Gill was the captain [in T20Is], he would have automatically come into the playing XI. Then, there would be no Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, or Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Gill would have opened straightaway. But, Gill wasn't part of the T20 World Cup. Where does he come in suddenly?," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

"He was not even in the T20I team against England. Yes, he has been doing very well recently, but we can't make selection calls like that," the 65-year-old added.

As opinions over Shubman Gill's potential selection remain divided, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has warned critics against undermining the Test skipper in T20Is.

"Yes, we do have players like Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma, but you cannot undermine or underestimate Shubman Gill. He is a very talented batter who can adapt to any format. He is an all-format player. In my opinion, he can play T20s and even dominate the format. We as fans are used to seeing fours and sixes every ball, but you also need batters who can play long innings and rescue the team when required,” Harbhajan told TOI.

According to reports, as many as 4 players are set to battle for one spot in the India squad for the Asia cup 2025. Which of these players would you pick in the squad?

- Shreyas Iyer.

- Riyan Parag.

- Rinku Singh.

- Washington Sundar

While Iyer and Rinku are pure batters, Parag and Sundar offer all-round options to the team, giving a more balanced look.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of India's Asia Cup 2025 squad selection. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will soon meet in Mumbai to finalise the roster for the continental event, being held in the T20 format this time. As has been suggested by multiple reports, the suspense over Shubman Gill's selection has emerged as the biggest talking point, with opinions on the Test captain varying. We'll soon come to know which way the coin flips.