India Asia Cup 2025 squad vs last T20I XI: Key changes, inclusions, and omissions

India’s last T20I outing came against England in February 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium, where Suryakumar Yadav’s men demolished the visitors by 150 runs. The playing XI that day was packed with power-hitters and spin options: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, and Varun Chakravarthy. India’s batting fired spectacularly, with Abhishek smashing 135 off 54 balls and Samson hammering 167 off 122. The bowling unit, led by Shami and Varun, bundled England out for just 97.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Playing XI back then: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun ChakravarthyFast forward to August 19, and the BCCI has named the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025.

Suryakumar continues as captain, with Shubman Gill promoted to vice-captain. The squad retains a strong core from the England series: Abhishek, Tilak, Hardik, Dube, Axar, Rinku, Samson, and Varun are all present. However, there are some notable changes. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who starred against England, is missing. Instead, Jasprit Bumrah returns to the T20I setup after workload management kept him out for much of the England tour.

Young quick Harshit Rana has also been drafted in, offering fresh pace options alongside Arshdeep Singh.On the spin front, Kuldeep Yadav comes in, strengthening India’s variety, while Bishnoi drops out. The wicketkeeping department sees Samson retained, but Jitesh Sharma is added as a second option, giving the side more flexibility in finishing roles. Shubman Gill, absent from the last T20I, not only returns but takes up leadership responsibility, signalling the selectors’ long-term trust in him. The biggest talking points are the omissions of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both overlooked despite good domestic and IPL form. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that competition for places, particularly in the middle order, forced tough calls.India 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.