Sunil Gavaskar refused to comment on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from India’s Asia Cup squad. The decision, along with Shubman Gill’s vice-captaincy, has fueled discussions, with Gavaskar emphasizing support for the selected team.
Former India batting legend and captain turned commentator Sunil Gavaskar refused to make any comment on the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025. The BCCI senior men’s team chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, unveiled the India squad for the eight-team continental tournament at the press conference at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai on Tuesday, August 19.
Following the squad announcement, there have been several debates and discussions on surprising inclusions and exclusions, especially Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain on his return to the T20I fold, Shreyas Iyer’s non-selection in the squad and reserves, and the addition of Rinku Singh, despite a shaky season in IPL 2025. One of the major discussions was the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite having a brilliant IPL 2025 and the Test series against England.
At the press conference, Abhishek Verma’s impressive form in T20Is and the need to have an extra bowling option resulted in the ‘unfortunate’ exclusion of Jaiswal from the squad. However, Jaiswal was added to the stand-by players, alongside Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar.
‘Somebody has to miss out’
Speaking on India’s squad selection, Sunil Gavaskar was asked about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s non-selection from the 15-member unit. The former India captain and batting legend refused to make any comment on it, stating that certain players had to miss out on the selection, further emphasising the importance of backing the selected squad rather than dwelling on the omissions.
“You can only pick XI in the match and you can only pick 15 in the squad. Somebody has to miss out, that’s just one of those in Indian cricket. No point in discussing whether A or B or C should’ve been there.” Gavaskar told India Today.
“This is now our team. We can all have our opinions before the selection committee picks the team but once the team is picked, we should back it fully. We shouldn’t be saying A should’ve been there or B should’ve been there. That only creates controversy, which the players don’t need,” he added.
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Last year, Yashasvi Jaiswal was included in India’s 15-member squad as a back-up opener for the T20 World Cup. However, the young opener did not get a single game as the management backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as an opening pair throughout the tournament. In IPL 2025, Jaiswal amassed 559 runs, including six fifties, at an average of 43 in 14 matches.
Jaiswal was part of the T20I series against Sri Lanka before shifting his focus towards Test cricket, especially for the series against New Zealand, Australia, and England. Reportedly, Jaiswal was asked to focus on red-ball cricket, keeping in mind the upcoming home Test series against West Indies and South Africa in October.
Gavaskar backs Shubman Gill as next T20I captain
Shubman Gill’s inclusion as a vice-captain is reportedly seen as the beginning of a transition to take over the leadership baton from the current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav in the future. Sunil Gavaskar backed the 25-year-old to become India’s T20I captain, highlighting his performance in the England Test series and the IPL.
“Not surprising at all. He (Shubman Gill) scored over 750 runs just a couple of weeks ago. You cannot exclude a player in that kind of form. Also, he has done really well in the IPL, which concluded just before the tour to England,” the 125-Test veteran said.
“It’s a very good inclusion. Giving him the vice-captaincy is also a way of telling him that in the future, he could be leading the T20 side. I think it’s a very, very good selection,” he added.
Shubman Gill’s appointment as a vice-captain for the Asia Cup T20 seemed to be a reward from the selectors and team management for his success in his maiden assignment as a Test captain in the series against England. The 25-year-old successfully led India to a thrilling five-match Test series draw after the visitors pulled off a dramatic six-run win in the Oval decider.