Asia Cup 2025: 5 Reasons why Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill Unlikely To Make It To India Squad

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s place in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad remains uncertain, with team balance, recent T20I involvement, and settled combinations likely influencing selectors’ decisions.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill unlikely in Asia Cup squad

The BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar is likely to announce the India squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 at a press conference on August 19, Tuesday. India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is expected to attend the press conference for the squad announcement.

Ahead of the squad selection and announcement, there is an uncertainty looming over Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s place, as both have been away from the T20I setup for nearly a year. Gill and Jaiswal might have had a great outing in the recently concluded Test series against England, but their inclusion in the Asia Cup squad is unlikely.

As the India squad announcement is set to take place next week, here are five reasons why Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are unlikely to get picked despite being the star performers over the last few years.

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1. Limited T20I Appearances

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have not played enough T20I matches over the last one year. Jaiswal and Gill’s last appearance in the T20Is was in the away series against Sri Lanka last year, and then, they shifted their focus towards red-ball cricket to prepare for the Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia Test series. When both were away from the T20I set-up for a year, team management experimented with batting combinations, giving opportunities to young players.

As per the report by Times of India (TOI), the BCCI selectors asked Yashasvi Jaiswal to focus on red-ball cricket rather than the white-ball format at the moment, given the upcoming home Test series against West Indies and South Africa. Therefore, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are likely to miss out on the Asia Cup squad as management is expected to prioritise players with recent T20I experience.

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2. Established Opening Pair

When Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were away from the T20I setup, team management tried other opening combinations, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma forming a settled partnership at the top. Neither Samson nor Abhishek can be ignored, as they have been in impressive form in the shortest format.

Sanju Samson will make it to the squad as a first-choice wicketkeeper, while Abhishek Sharma is currently the No.1 T20I batter. If selectors and team management stick with this successful combination, it leaves little room for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup squad, as both are top-order batters and both would be competing for the same opening slots.

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3. Prioritizing stability over change

Team India management and selectors are unlikely to disrupt the batting combination, which they experimented with when Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were away from the T20I set-up. Since the current batting combination delivered the results in the last three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, the selectors are expected to prioritize stability over making any changes.

As per the report by PTI, a source close to the BCCI stated that the team management is likely to stick with the top five of the batting line-up, which includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya. This means bringing in Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal, or both, to the squad would disrupt the combination. Therefore, their chances of making it to the Asia Cup 2025 squad remain slim, as management is unlikely to make changes to their settled batting order.

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4. IPL Success is not sufficient

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill undoubtedly had a great IPL season this year, having amassed over 500 runs for Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, respectively. Jaiswal scored 549 runs, while Gill scored 650 runs in the IPL 2025. However, strong performances in the IPL cannot guarantee a spot in the national squad, given that management prioritizes players with national experience.

Though Jaiswal and Gill have experience playing T20Is, their absence from the format over the past one year and lack of recent international performances make it difficult for selectors to justify over players who are currently in form and settled in the team. Therefore, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are unlikely to be considered for selection.

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5. Team balance and role clarity

Over the past one year, team management provided a certain clarity to roles within the squad, ensuring each player fits a specific position, be it opener, middle-order, finisher, or all-rounder. The selectors and team management are expected to look at the overall balance of the squad, rather than individual batting form, with Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma likely to play the finisher's role.

Therefore, including Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill, or both, could disrupt this balance, as both are primarily top-order batters and would compete for already settled slots. Selectors are likely to prioritize maintaining a balanced squad with clarity on each role for the players rather than accommodating star performers who have not featured in the T20I recently.