India’s Asia Cup squad: Selectors play safe, but miss chance to be bold

Dubai: It’s never easy being an Indian cricket selector. Rarely has a squad announcement passed without debate, and the Asia Cup team unveiled on Tuesday is no exception. The choices reflect both the abundance of talent in India’s T20 pool and the dilemma of balancing continuity with freshness. Yet, in the end, what stands out is that the selectors neither went bold nor stayed fully consistent.

The most glaring example is the decision to keep teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi out of the 15. The left-hander, who has already trained with the India Under-19 squad and is being groomed for the future, has had experts such as former skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth call for his inclusion. Blooding him early as an additional opener could have freed up Sanju Samson to play the role of a finisher, but the panel opted against taking the plunge.

Instead, they went for Rinku Singh, once again overlooking Shreyas Iyer. The latter had just finished the Indian Premier League with 604 runs and played a central role in India’s Champions Trophy success. By almost every measure, Shreyas had done enough to earn a place.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the decision as a question of balance. “At the moment, will have to wait for his chance,” Agarkar said, while adding that Rinku offered the extra batting depth the squad required. But that logic is difficult to square with the selectors’ willingness to gamble elsewhere.

The inclusion of Shivam Dube is a case in point. A powerful hitter and useful medium-pacer, Dube has carved a niche in T20 cricket. Yet, on the dry tracks of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, his bowling is unlikely to play a decisive role. Washington Sundar, meanwhile, could have offered far greater utility.

The off-spinning all-rounder was one of India’s bright sparks in the Test series in England last month, showing both composure and range with the bat. More importantly, his spin could have been an asset in conditions that historically favour slow bowling. Instead, the panel fell back on the argument of continuity and opted to persist with Dube.

The return of Shubman Gill as vice-captain is, however, one of the more encouraging moves. Gill had last played T20 internationals against Sri Lanka in January 2024, before the demands of Test cricket sidelined him from the shortest format. His comeback adds another layer to India’s batting order. With Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma already part of the squad, Gill offers both a third opening option and the ability to slot in at No 3, much like Virat Kohli’s role in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign last year. For a player seen as a leader-in-waiting, the vice-captaincy is another step forward.

But Gill’s return also underlines another curious decision. Sai Sudharsan, the IPL’s top-scorer this year, finds no place in the squad — not even as a reserve. It is a reflection of the bottleneck at the top of India’s order, where Abhishek, Jaiswal, Gill, and Samson are all competing for similar spots. Agarkar admitted that “one of these guys was always going to miss out,” but the absence of Sudharsan again raises the question of whether the selectors have been brave enough to reward form over reputation.

India’s spin department, at least, looks settled. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy offer mystery and variety, while Axar Patel provides left-arm balance. In UAE conditions, the trio should play a big role. Jasprit Bumrah’s presence lends leadership to a pace unit rounded off by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, the latter continuing to impress with his ability to bowl at the death. Yet here too, there is a case to be made for greater depth. Leaving out Washington Sundar from the main 15 reduces India’s options in matches where teams may look to target just one type of spin.

India will open their Asia Cup campaign against hosts UAE on September 9 in Group A, which also includes Pakistan and Oman. With the Twenty20 World Cup less than a year away, the Asia Cup provides both a rehearsal and a chance to test combinations. This squad, however, feels more like a holding pattern than a bold statement of intent.

In trying to keep faith with familiar faces, the selectors may have overlooked players who could have given India an edge in conditions tailor-made for their skills. Shreyas Iyer, Washington, and Sai Sudharsan all have reasons to feel hard done by. The refusal to take a calculated risk on Suryavanshi, meanwhile, means India may have missed an opportunity to fast-track a rare talent.

As always, the final word will be written on the field. Should India cruise to the title, the selection will look justified. But if cracks emerge in batting flexibility or spin depth, the spotlight will once again swing back to the committee. Either way, the Asia Cup squad underlines a familiar truth of Indian cricket: picking the team is never the easy part.