Former India cricketer turned analyst Mohammad Kaif has picked his probable India squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. The tournament is all set to begin on September 9, while the United Arab Emirates will host it. India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE, while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan as well. However, Kaif selected Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the openers and picked Shubman Gill as a backup option, leaving out Yashasvi Jaiswal.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel on Friday, August 15, Kaif said: “Regarding Gill and Jaiswal, only one might make it, and I believe that considering the way Shubman Gill performed as captain on the England tour, scoring 750 runs, he deserves a spot. Even in the IPL, he scored plenty of runs. So, he might not make the playing XI, but his name should definitely be in the squad as a backup opener.”
“Next, if I talk about the backup opener, there is a tough fight between Gill and Jaiswal, but only one can be selected. You also need a backup wicketkeeper, and I am seeing Jitesh Sharma’s name. He is in amazing form and even led RCB to the finals this time. So, for the Asia Cup, Sanju Samson will be the main wicketkeeper, while the backup wicketkeeper will be Jitesh Sharma,” he shared.
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However, Mohammad Kaif also supported the inclusion of speedster Mohammed Siraj for the 2025 Asia Cup, after his heroic performance in the recently concluded five-match Test series against England. Siraj became the highest wicket-taker, claiming 23 scalps in five games and helped the series end in a 2-2 draw as well.
“I will take the name of one more player, Mohammed Siraj. Although his name was not included in the ODI team for the Champions Trophy, with Harshit Rana taking his place, the selectors will have to decide here whether to go with Harshit Rana or Siraj. However, I believe that given the way Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill performed on the England tour and brought glory to India, Siraj deserves to be in the squad for his bowling performances. So, Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill are two players whom I would like to see rewarded with a spot in the squad,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.
Mohammad Kaif’s squad for India for the Asia Cup 2025:
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Jitesh Sharma.
