The Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 was announced on 19th August by the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar in the presence of captain Suryakumar Yadav in Mumbai. Many of the T20 regulars managed to retain their spots, and the appointment of Shubman Gill as vice-captain surprised many.
Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Harshit Rana were the pace options in the Indian squad. On the other hand, the batting side saw Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma being the main names included.
However, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has lambasted the BCCI chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, for leaving out two cricketers from the India squad who have the x-factor needed for a tournament like the Asia Cup 2025.
“I feel that Siraj’s name should have been included as well. Siraj bowled very well in the recent series. Yes, he bowled a lot in England, but he also got adequate rest. So, he could have been included. If he had been picked, the team would have looked even stronger. The bowling unit would have seemed stronger. I feel that the ‘X-factor’ Siraj brings might be somewhat missed,” Harbhajan Singh stated on his YouTube channel.
Furthermore, the second player with the ‘x-factor’ that missed the bus was Shreyas Iyer, according to Harbhajan Singh. Iyer had an excellent IPL 2025, with 604 runs for Punjab Kings in 17 games with six fifties and a strike rate of 175 plus.
“I had hoped he (Shreyas Iyer) would get a place in the team. He scored a lot of runs, played in the IPL final, and was in very good form. I thought his name could have been there. As for whose spot he would take, that is for the selectors to decide. When someone has to be included or left out, a spot is made. But I did not see Shreyas Iyer’s name there, which surprised me a little," he added.
The Asia Cup, an eight-nation competition, will start on September 9 and pit hosts United Arab Emirates against reigning champion India in Dubai the following day. India and their bitter rivals, Pakistan, will face each other on September 14 after being assigned to Group A.
