3 clear indications from India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 ft. Shubman Gill

Team India recently announced their 15-man squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. The Men in Blue will be led by Suryakumar Yadav in the continental competition, which will commence next month in the UAE.

Following the announcement, Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media. They clarified their thinking on a number of fronts, including the non-selections of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. The duo also shed some light on their approach going forward.

Although Suryakumar and Agarkar gave the public some ideas on where they stand, they didn't cover all possible bases. Reading between the lines becomes necessary to truly understand the direction the Men in Blue are taking.

India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

On that note, here are three clear indications from India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup.

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#3 India have prioritized continuity over ability

India v England - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

India have picked a few players who haven't been in great form in recent times. Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana are among those in the squad who didn't set the 2025 Indian Premier League on fire with their performances.

However, the selectors have stuck by them, seemingly valuing continuity over ability. Dube and Rinku have clear holes in their respective games that have been exposed in recent times, while Rana has been backed ahead of the likes of Prasidh Krishna.

In the process, players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been ignored. It's arguable that they have higher ceilings and deserve to be picked based on their recent form, but stability seems to be the name of the game for the selection panel.

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#2 Jasprit Bumrah might be expected to show up as often as he can across formats

Ireland v India - 3rd Men's T20 International - Source: Getty

Following the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah's involvement with the Indian team came under criticism from multiple quarters. The ace spearhead is one of the country's biggest match-winners, and if he isn't available for all of the team's matches because of his fitness, that must be respected.

India, however, might have decided to make a statement by picking Bumrah in their squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. They are the clear favorites for the competition and are unlikely to face any real challenges in securing the trophy, making the fast bowler's participation optional.

Nevertheless, despite the tournament coming weeks after a grueling tour of England, Bumrah finds himself named in the squad. India need to be careful not to push him over the limit, with massively important engagements coming up across formats over the next two years.

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#1 Shubman Gill is being viewed as India's next all-format captain

South Africa v India - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

There was no real reason for Shubman Gill to be picked in the T20I side shortly after a challenging tour of England. India had settled opening options in the form of Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson, while Gill himself has a long calendar ahead of him in the longer formats.

The selectors, though, went to great lengths to get Gill picked in the squad. They dropped Jaiswal and even removed the vice-captaincy from Axar Patel, seemingly indicating that the Gujarat Titans skipper is being viewed as the man to take over the reins from Suryakumar Yadav.

It might not have much of an impact in the near future, with Suryakumar all set to lead the side in next year's T20 World Cup. But this storyline is certainly one to watch out for going forward.