With the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee announcing the squad for the Asia Cup 2025, there have been some pertinent questions regarding the exclusion of some players. Whereas the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer have been snubbed from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, the inclusion of Shubman Gill as vice-captain also attracted criticism from fans and players alike.

Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning player Madan Lal expressed his disappointment on Hardik Pandya being snubbed from the position of vice-captain yet again. He was also stunned by the fact that why Jaiswal, who was an ideal candidate to open the innings, was excluded from the squad.

Interestingly, Pandya was India's vice-captain during the Men-In-Blue tournament-winning campaign in 2024. But he was removed later on because of workload management. 

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Speaking to ANI, the 1983 World Cup winner said, “Sometimes you feel surprised that a player like Yashasvi Jaiswal is not in the team...I don't know why Hardik Pandya has been removed.”

“But Gill is a good choice as he is performing well. In the coming time, it is possible that Gill will play in all three formats..The players who make the team win a match must not be left out. ..We have such a good team that we may win the Asia Cup,” he added.

The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, which was held after a selection meeting that also featured the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia.

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India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14, with both fixtures set to be played in Dubai. India will play their final group stage fixture against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

Inputs from ANI