NEW DELHI: India has announced its 15-member squad for next month’s Asia Cup in the UAE, with opener Shubman Gill and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah making their way back into the Twenty20 lineup. The side will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, who succeeded Rohit Sharma after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year.
Gill, who last featured in a T20 International in July 2023 during the Sri Lanka tour as Suryakumar’s deputy, has largely been occupied with Test duties and the Champions Trophy, limiting his white-ball opportunities. “That was the start of a new cycle,” skipper Suryakumar told reporters. “He’s been busy with the longer formats, but now we’re happy to have him back in the T20 setup.”
Bumrah’s inclusion comes despite concerns over his workload, with the fast bowler having featured in only three of the five Tests against England earlier this year.
The selectors opted for Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as additional opening options, leaving no room for Yashasvi Jaiswal. “It’s just unfortunate for Yashasvi,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained. “Abhishek has done really well over the past year and also offers us a bowling option. Someone had to miss out, and Yashasvi will have to wait for his turn.”
Samson, along with Jitesh Sharma, will handle wicketkeeping duties, while Kuldeep Yadav strengthens the spin attack. Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh add depth across departments.
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India begin their Group A campaign against hosts UAE in Dubai before their much-anticipated clash with Pakistan at the same venue four days later.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson.