Asia Cup 2025: 3 players who could have been picked instead of Shivam Dube in India’s squad

Published - 19 Aug 2025, 19:30 IST | Updated - 19 Aug 2025, 19:46 IST

India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav announced a 15-member squad for the impending Asia Cup in September in the UAE on Wednesday, August 19. One of the most controversial picks in the side was Shivam Dube, who has not been able to instill confidence with his performances in the shortest format after playing 35 T20Is.

Dube was a part of India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. While India went on to win the marquee event, Dube failed to impress with his outings with the bat as he scored 133 runs at an average of 22.16 and a strike rate of 114.65 in eight innings. However, he played a crucial 27-run knock off 16 balls in the final against South Africa.

Some strong contenders missed out on Wednesday. Let's look at a few names who could have been better picks instead of Dube in India's Asia Cup 2025 squad.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was reportedly fighting for the backup opener's slot with Shubman Gill. The latter was eventually picked and was also appointed vice-captain of the side. Jaiswal was a part of India's T20 World Cup squad in 2024, but he did not get a game, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opening the batting.

Yashasvi's last T20I appearance was in the series against Sri Lanka in July 2024. He has scored 723 runs at an average of 35.15 and a strike rate of 164.32 in 23 T20Is. As Sanju Samson and Gill could also bat at No. 3, Yashasvi could have forged a formidable opening combination with Abhishek Sharma. Jaiswal likes to put the bowlers to the sword by playing aggressive cricket from the first ball, something that is highly-appreciated in T20 cricket.