Explained: Why BCCI Excluded Yashasvi Jaiswal And Shreyas Iyer From India's Asia Cup Squad

Jaiswal and Iyer aren't in IND Asia Cup squad [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, the BCCI unveiled India's 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025. While Shubman Gill has returned to the T20I team as the vice-captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer missed out on selection. 

Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have a star-studded side comprising outright match-winners throughout their squad. However, considering Jaiswal and Iyer's stature, their exclusion from the team made fans raise their eyebrows. 

Why Did India Drop Jaiswal And Iyer For Asia Cup?

Talking about Yashasvi Jaiswal, the swashbuckling southpaw was reported to make it into the Asia Cup squad as the third opener. However, given that Shubman Gill was India's T20I vice-captain, the Men in Blue decided to bring him back, giving him an opportunity to showcase his mettle ahead of the T20 World Cup. 

Also, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have performed admirably as openers in T20I cricket. So, as Gill was preferred due to his leadership role, Jaiswal had to miss out on selection. 

On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer failed to find a place in India's Asia Cup squad despite performing admirably in the IPL. Playing for Punjab Kings, Iyer hammered 604 runs at a blistering strike rate of 175.07. 

However, India currently have a settled top-order comprising Samson, Abhishek and Tilak Varma, who have been magnificent as T20I batters of late. Therefore, Iyer couldn't be included in the team due to lack of vacancy at the top-order. 

India's Squad For Asia Cup 2025

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

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