Sitting on the Sidelines: Indian Players Who Might Not See Action in the 2025 Asia Cup

The Asia Cup is soon upon us, and excitement is palpable for the cricket fans! India has announced its 15-member squad for the tournament, which will take place in 2025, and it is clear that there is competition for a seat in drinking 11. Suryakumar Yadav takes the reins as skipper, while Shubman Gill’s leadership aura keeps the team grounded and focused. Regardless, not all squad members will get playing time. At best, the squad may only rotate Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Shubman Gill in and out of the team, and not the talented players who will have to miss out entirely. 

Sanju Samson

The journey hasn’t been smooth for Samson in India’s T20s, as moments of glory often clash with unexpected bench time. Batting with Abhishek Sharma at the top, he has scored a very good 522 runs in 17 T20Is at an average of 32.63 and a strike-rate of 178.77; all solid numbers on the page. But that is considered with the news of Shubman Gill’s position of vice-captain changing the landscape again. Gill will definitely be an opening bat, and Abhishek is already replacing his comfort left-handedness. This leaves us with Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson, who could take the role of the finisher/backup wicket-keeper. From previous selection decisions for the T20 World Cup, we can confidently say history could just repeat itself in this setup of being selected (with squad selection) and not playing one game. 

Harshit Rana 

The spotlight briefly shone on Harshit Rana during IPL 2025, where he picked up 15 wickets in 13 matches, yet the bench could still call his name. Sounds impressive, right? Well, his economy rate of 10.18 raises eyebrows, and in international cricket, consistency is everything. The real challenge for Rana is the competition: Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are in the squad and practically automatic selections for any T20I match. With these two spearheading the attack, Harshit is left playing a game of patience. He could very well spend the entire Asia Cup warming the bench, learning from the pros, and waiting for a moment that might never come. It’s a classic “right place, wrong timing” scenario.

Kuldeep Yadav 

Next, we have “The magician with the wrist spin, Kuldeep Yadav. His IPL 2025 numbers were respectable, but the 2024 T20 World Cup performance—10 wickets in five matches at 13.90—proved he can step up on the big stage. However, he could have worse luck and be on the bench. The Indian team may opt for Xu to play spin, and Varun Chakaravarthy to bowl spin, and they may elect to use Shivam Dube as an all-around spin option. Unfortunately for Kuldeep, you lose the depth in the batting order when you select him to play with the other two options, and therefore, you’re choosing to play him over able-bodied all-rounders. Kuldeep’s situation reminds me of the recent test series against England. Back then, he was only at the game to facilitate an extra capacity in batting.”

FAQs 

1: Why might Sanju Samson not play in the Asia Cup?

Samson could miss out due to Shubman Gill opening and Abhishek Sharma holding a left-handed spot.

2: Why is Harshit Rana unlikely to play in the Asia Cup?

The presence of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh makes it hard for him to break into the playing 11.

3: Why might Kuldeep Yadav not get a game?

The team may prefer Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy to maintain batting depth and all-round balance.