Asia Cup 2025: 5 players who could be dropped as selectors
After the conclusion of the five-match Test series against
England, all eyes are on the 2025 Asia Cup, which will begin from September 9
in the T20 format.
India will be without their senior players Virat Kohli and
Rohit Sharma in the tournament, with Suryakumar Yadav expected to lead the
side.
However, the biggest challenge now lies with the selectors,
who will have to finalise the 15-member squad while striking a balance between
recent performances, fitness and workload management. Some players may be
rested or dropped from the squad depending on various factors.
Mohammad Siraj can be rested
After a stellar performance in the England Tests, Mohammed
Siraj emerged as India's highest wicket-taker. His match-winning spell at the
Oval was a memorable moment. Given his heavy workload during the IPL and the
England tour, the selectors are busy
They might opt to rest Siraj to improve his fitness ahead of
the event.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged Gautam
Gambhir and Shubman Gill to take care of Mohammed Siraj after the pacer led his
team to a thrilling six-run win over England in the fifth and final Test of the
Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Siraj, 31, took nine wickets in the series decider,
including a five-wicket haul in the second innings, as Shubman Gill's side
levelled the five-match series.
Ashwin, who will retire from international cricket in
December 2024, said Siraj has not been recognised for his efforts in the past
and it is time the pacer gets all the recognition he deserves.
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj led the fast bowling
attack very well and was the highest wicket-taker in the series with 23
wickets.
"We didn't recognise Mohammed Siraj. It's time to
recognise him. He raised his hand once again; he has given a great reason. Look
at his celebration, it's like he's saying,
This is not a trailer. This is the
real picture.' He's saying, Consider me a match winner.' He's reminding us
what a champion bowler he is.
His bowling action, his technique and his way of working is
giving him an opportunity to play all five Test matches in a series,” Ashwin
said on his YouTube channel.
He further said, "He is also getting older. It is
important for the team management to give him rest even from unimportant
matches. He can be your No. 1 Test bowler.
he can be your favourite Test
bowler. We have to rebuild the bowling attack. Akashdeep is there, Prasidh
Krishna is there, Arshdeep Singh is there. We have to build it around Mohammed
Siraj and his experience."
Shubman Gill impressed with his captaincy in the England
series, but his role in the T20 format is under question. With Yashasvi
Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Verma already competing for
top-order spots, it may be difficult for Gill to find a place in the playing
XI.
The Indian cricket team is preparing for an important match
against Australia in the fourth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. On
Thursday, December 26, the prestigious Melbourne Cricket
The match, which will be played as the Boxing Day Test at
the ground, is expected to be a thrilling contest.
As discussions about the final XI are gaining momentum, it
seems that changes are likely in the visiting team. According to reports,
captain Rohit Sharma is set to return to the team and he is set to open the
innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in this important match.
part from this change in the top order, KL Rahul is expected
to come in at number three, which could create problems for Shubman Gill, who
has been struggling to find his place.
According to Cricbuzz, there is a heated
debate about Gill's form ahead of the Test, raising questions about whether he
will be able to retain his place in the playing XI.
Gill's troubles at the crease have been worrying. Ever since
his blazing 91 in the last Border-Gavaskar series at the Gabba, the
right-handed batsman has failed to convert good starts into big scores on
foreign soil.
His current series has not brought him any relief either, and his
performances in his two matches so far have been extremely disappointing.
After missing the opening Test in Perth with a finger
injury, Gill returned for the second match but struggled to capitalise on his
good start, adding to the challenges he faces in overseas conditions.
In his previous outing at the Gabba, Gill got out cheaply in
the first innings and unfortunately didn't get a chance to bat in the second
innings as well due to rain.
With speculations mounting, reports from the Times
of India suggest that the team management is looking at including a second
spinner, and Washington Sundar is being touted as a potential option.
If Sundar makes it to the team, then Shubman Gill or his
fellow batsman Nitish Kumar Reddy may have to sit out of this important Test.
This decision could be a big blow for Gill, who is considered by many as a key
player in India's long-term batting lineup.
There is speculation that only two
of Gill, Reddy and Sundar will be able to make it to the final team for the
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Test.
Nitish Kumar Reddy likely to opt out of election
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is recovering from an injury, had a
mediocre performance in the England Tests. His T20 International stats (90 runs
and 3 wickets in 4 matches) weaken his claim. He may be out of this edition of
the Asia Cup.
Team India has suffered another major setback ahead of the
fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford. All-rounder Nitish Kumar
Reddy, who performed brilliantly in the third and tough match played at Lord's,
has suffered a serious knee injury. A day after Cricbuzz reported the injury,
It has been confirmed that the all-rounder will not play in
the remainder of the ongoing Test series in England.
This revelation comes a day after it was revealed that fast
bowler Akash Deep, one of India's match-winners in the second Test at
Edgbaston, could be ruled out of the Manchester Test due to injury.
He and
fellow pacer Arshdeep Singh will miss the fourth Test to be held from July 23
to 27. The left-arm pacer has also been officially ruled out of the match in
Manchester.
Sources had earlier told Cricbuzz that Nitish (22) has
suffered a left knee injury, making his participation in the series doubtful.
The exact nature of the injury is not yet clear, although it is believed to
have been sustained during a mobility training session.
Cricbuzz has learned
that Nitish underwent scans to ascertain the severity of the injury. On Monday
(July 21), the BCCI confirmed his left knee injury and said he will return
home.
On Sunday, the Indian team went to Old Trafford to meet
Manchester United players and Nitish was one of those Indian players who could
not make it to the famous football ground.
The obvious one was KL Rahul, but the India opener is fine
and there are no concerns over his fitness.
With two more Test matches left in the Anderson-Tendulkar
Trophy, the team management might have to rely on Shardul Thakur, who was
preferred over Nitish in the first Test at Leeds, but the Andhra all-rounder
regained his place in the next two matches.
Dhruv Jurel will face tough competition
Although Dhruv Jurel was in the squad for the home T20
series against England, his participation in the Asia Cup seems doubtful. With
Ishan Kishan's possible return and Sanju Samson already being a frontrunner,
Jurel seems unlikely to make it into the squad.
Amid the BCCI's decision to include N Jagadeeshan in the
squad in place of Rishabh Pant, the Tamil Nadu cricketer will face tough
competition from Dhruv Jurel.
However, the way things are going, it seems difficult to fit
the batsman into the playing XI, with Jurel being the likely choice for this
role, especially considering the nature of the match.
Team India has reached this milestone after achieving a
brilliant draw in the fourth match of the five-match Test series against
England. Now both the teams will face each other for the series decider in the
fifth Test match.
Team India will miss its dashing batsman Rishabh Pant in the
fifth Test match. The left-handed batsman suffered a leg injury while facing
Chris Woakes in the fourth Test.
Jagadeesan has no experience of English conditions yet, but
he has been a strong player in the domestic circuit. On the other hand, Jurel
cannot be called an experienced option for this role, as he has played only
four Test matches for the team.
In a situation, where a win could help India level the
series, the management
The third option for India would be in-form batsman KL
Rahul, but the experienced batsman has been performing consistently well in the
top order and the think tank would not like to change his position.
Moreover, after keeping wicket for so many overs, it will be
tiring for Rahul to once again open the innings for the Shubman Gill-led side.
The biggest concern for Gautam Gambhir & Co. will be the fitness of their
main pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Earlier, the fast bowler was advised not to play consecutive
Test matches in view of his workload management. Following this advice, the
management gave him a chance to play three matches of the series, but now the
visiting team is in a situation where Bumrah's presence can prove to be ideal
for victory.
If he remains out of the match, Prasidh Krishna and Akash
Deep are the two options available for the final match. Arshdeep Singh, who has
performed brilliantly for the team in the white ball format, has not yet made
his Test debut. He was not available for selection for the fourth Test due to
injury.
Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi in danger
Washington Sundar failed to impress in the recent T20
series, taking only three wickets and not doing much with the bat either.
Similarly, Ravi Bishnoi may also be dropped from the team due to poor form. Due
to the conditions in the UAE, the selectors may prefer Yuzvendra Chahal, who
has experience of playing in these conditions.
Former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra has said that Ravi
Bishnoi and Washington Sundar may not get a chance to play in the first T20
match against Afghanistan. India is all set to take on Afghanistan at the PCA
Stadium in Mohali.
India will play a three-match T20 series against Afghanistan
at their home ground. India have an impeccable record against Afghanistan in
the shortest format of the game, where they have won four out of five matches
and one match was a draw.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra discussed India's
bowling options for the first T20I and backed Axar Patel over Sundar as the
spin all-rounder. Sundar has played 40 T20Is for India, scoring 107 runs and
taking 31 wickets.
Chopra said, "Axar will definitely play. Axar is also a
left-handed batsman. If you want to play Washington Sundar by mistake, you can
play another left-handed batsman. However, I don't think Washington Sundar will
be able to play. I think if Axar is at number seven, then you will have to play
only one spinner at number eight and that will be Kuldeep Yadav."
He further said that Bishnoi and Sundar may not be able to
play in the first match of the series. Bishnoi is the second-ranked bowler in
T20 international cricket.
Chopra further said, "If Kuldeep plays at number eight,
then India will have to go with three fast bowlers because given the fog here,
I think there can be a lot of dew. So I think there should be three fast
bowlers and two spinners. There may not be room for Ravi Bishnoi and
Washi."
