Former cricketers pick an alternate India T20I XI from players who are not part of Asia Cup 2025, name Shreyas Iyer as captain

Former India cricketers Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund picked a combined alternate Men in Blue T20I XI from players who are not part of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 squad. The duo shared their selections in a conversation on ESPNcricinfo, naming Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as the openers.

Jaiswal has featured in 23 T20Is, scoring 723 runs with five fifties and one century, while Rahul has amassed 2,265 runs in 72 matches, including 22 fifties and two centuries, with his last appearance coming in November 2022. At No. 3, they chose Sai Sudharsan, who has appeared in one T20I and won the IPL 2025 Orange Cap with 759 runs in 15 matches, including six fifties and one century.

Jaffer and Mukund picked Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 and also named him captain. The Mumbai batter has 51 T20I appearances, scoring 1,104 runs, including eight fifties.

At No. 5, they slotted Riyan Parag, who has played nine T20Is, while the No. 6 spot went to uncapped Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Shashank Singh. For No. 7 and No. 8, they picked Krunal Pandya and Washington Sundar as the two spin-bowling all-rounders.

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India’s second-highest wicket-taker does not get a confirmed place in Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund’s alternate XI

In the bowling department, Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund included India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning pacer Mohammed Siraj. They paired him with his Gujarat Titans (GT) teammate Prasidh Krishna as the seam bowling partner. Krishna has featured in five matches, taking eight wickets.

For the No. 11 spot, they picked Yuzvendra Chahal, Men in Blue’s second-highest wicket-taker with 96 scalps in 80 games, alongside left-arm seamer Yash Dayal, with one of them to get the nod depending on pitch conditions.

Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund’s combined alternate India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Riyan Parag, Shashank Singh, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal/Yash Dayal.