By Sahil Kohli

New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): Following the announcement of Team India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, former India cricketer Surinder Khanna questioned the omission of middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer and backed vice-captain Shubman Gill's return to the T20I setup.

The squad for the Asia Cup was unveiled by T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar during a press conference on Tuesday.

While Gill returned to the T20I set-up after a heavy dosage of Test and ODI formats, one massive and questionable omission was that of Shreyas Iyer, who set the Indian Premier League (IPL) on fire with his hitting and captaincy skills alike, taking Punjab Kings (PBKS) to their first IPL final since 2014.

Speaking to ANI, Khanna said the squad looks promising, with a strong mix of youth, in-form spinners, seamers, and all-rounders bringing balance. However, he expressed disappointment over Iyer's exclusion.

'However, there is one player whom I feel sorry for. Shreyas Iyer. What else does he have to do? The selectors, coaches and think tanks should keep him in the team. He is a good fielder and a good cricketing brain. His performance in T20 is excellent. The franchise he plays for and leads, he takes them to the final or wins them the title. When he is in form, he should get a chance. Otherwise, it is quite a good team,' he added.

Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL 2025 and had his best season, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*. He played a massive role in taking PBKS to their first IPL final since 2014, but the team fell short by six runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Since India's T20 World Cup win last year, Iyer has featured in 26 matches, scoring 949 runs in 25 innings at an average of 49.94, strike rate of 179.73, with a century and seven fifties and best score of 130*. He won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as a captain for Mumbai as a captain and was the fourth-highest run-getter in the competition.

In his last match for Team India in the T20I format way back in December 2023 against Australia, he top-scored in India's win with a 37-ball 53 at Bengaluru.

Speaking on Gill's return and if his role within the team should be as a stabiliser or a 'all-guns-blazing' batter like the rest of the team, Surinder backed him to perform well, saying that he is 'a good striker of the ball and has individuality.'

'You do not have to build up any innings in T20. Because it's a very small format. You do not have to stop and play. He is a good striker of the ball. I think it is his individuality. The form and touch he has, he can always play his strokes right from the beginning. And he clears the boundary with a lot of ease. So there should not be any problem with him. I do not think he needs to change anything as a batter. He is good enough for any format. And when your confidence is high, you play more openly,' he added.

Gill, who was the captain for the T20I tour to Zimbabwe just after the T20 WC win, was leading a side which featured mostly newer players. He will now play his first T20I competition since July 2024 as a vice-captain. In 21 T20Is, Gill has made 578 runs in 21 innings at an average of 30.42, with a strike rate of 139.27. He has scored a century and three fifties, with the best score of 126*.

He was also Surya's deputy during the T20I series against Sri Lanka away from home last year. After this series, he was omitted from T20Is to focus mainly on a heavy Test season with tours to Australia and England and the ICC Champions Trophy.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Gill scored 650 runs in 15 innings at an average of 50.00, with a strike rate of 155.87, with six fifties and a best score of 93*, ending as the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament.

During the tour of England consisting of five Tests, Gill displayed exemplary leadership qualities as a captain, leading a new-look team without legends like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin to a well-fought 2-2 draw. He also scored a whopping 754 runs with the bat, including four tons and a best score of 269.

Gill's elevation to vice-captaincy replaces all-rounder Axar Patel in the role.

India will open their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against UAE on September 10, followed by a high-stakes clash against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. The final group-stage match will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

The Super 4 stage will be played from September 20 to 26, with the final scheduled for September 28 in Dubai.

After the group stage, the tournament will proceed to the Super 4, where the top two teams from each group will qualify. If India finishes at the top of Group A, then all of their Super 4 matches will be held in Dubai. If India finishes second, then one of their Super 4 clashes will be held in Abu Dhabi and the remaining two in Dubai. The Super 4 stage will run from September 20 to 26. Dubai will host the final, which is scheduled for September 28.

Team India squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Reserve players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal. (ANI)