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Team India might have to pay a heavy price for Shubman Gill's entry in the Asia Cup 2025 squad as big selection shake-up is on the cards. Shubman Gill's selection for the Asia Cup 2025 squad could reportedly lead to the exclusion of star finisher Rinku Singh. According to a report by PTI, Rinku's place in the squad for the tournament in the UAE is not guaranteed.
Rinku Singh likely to be snubbed from India's Asia Cup squad
Rinku gained widespread fame for his heroics in IPL 2023, particularly for hitting five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal to secure a stunning victory for KKR. This performance earned him his first caps for both the India T20I and ODI teams, and he initially delivered consistent performances. Many saw him as a lock for the T20I squad, but a dip in form led to him being left out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. His career has been on a downward trajectory since then, as he struggled to get regular opportunities in the 2024 IPL and only managed to score 206 runs in the 2025 season.
India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 can be announced anytime soon, and the potential inclusion of Gill has become a major topic of discussion. Conflicting reports have emerged about his selection, with the latest suggesting that his presence could put Rinku Singh's spot on the team at risk.
The 27-year-old right-handed batter is no longer considered a guaranteed selection for either the Asia Cup 2025 or the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. India's top five is expected to include Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, provided there are no changes. Even other promising batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are not considered automatic choices for the squad.
According to reports, the potential exclusion of Rinku may be due to Gautam Gambhir's preference for players with multiple skills. If Rinku is not selected for the finisher's role, India might opt for either Shivam Dube, who also bowls, or Jitesh Sharma, who is considered a backup wicketkeeper-batsman.
An anonymous former member of the BCCI selection committee told PTI that India's T20I squad is largely settled, with little room for players like Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. The former selector feels that only Rinku Singh's position is currently under threat.
"We often hear people saying, one should pick so and so but no one would be able to definitively tell us 'in place of whom'? Shreyas Iyer has 600 runs at a strike-rate of 180 but he bats in top four. Where is the place for him. Even as you include Shubman as he is flavour of the season, where do you cut corners," a former national selector told PTI.
"You can't disturb your top five right now and also pick Shubman. And if you pick Shubman now, obviously the Test captain and IPL team captain won't sit out. So where do you make the compromise? I only see Rinku's spot being iffy as he isn't required as much some of the top order batters. And mind it, we aren't even talking about Jaiswal," he added.
BCCI haven't announced the India's Asia Cup squad yet. However, Sports Tak has learnt that Shreyas Iyer's name has almost been finalised for the upcoming tournament. On the other hand, BCCI is closely monitoring Suryakumar Yadav's recovery after latter's hernia surgery earlier this year.
India, who are placed in Group A, will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a clash against UAE on September 10 followed by a key clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. India will then take on Oman on September 19 in their last group-stage match.
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