Asia Cup 2025- No KL Rahul Or Rishabh Pant! Sanju Samson And 2-Time IPL Winner To Be Wicket-Keepers For India: Report

The Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025 is set to be revealed on Tuesday, August 19, in Mumbai, with the BCCI selection committee expected to finalize the team that will compete in the UAE.

The tournament, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will see eight nations battle it out in the T20I format. According to reports, Suryakumar Yadav, who recently cleared a fitness test at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, will captain the side.

One of the key talking points ahead of the announcement is India's wicketkeeping combination. As things stand, Sanju Samson remains the preferred gloveman in T20Is. The bigger question, however, has been around his deputy.

A report by Sportstar indicates that Jitesh Sharma, the 31-year-old finisher from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is likely to stage a comeback. Jitesh was instrumental in RCB's maiden IPL title win earlier this year, delivering impactful knocks down the order, and his form appears to have convinced the selectors.

If the report holds true, Jitesh will replace Dhruv Jurel, who had served as Samson's understudy during the T20I series against England earlier this year. Jitesh has represented India in nine T20Is so far, scoring 100 runs in seven innings, with his last appearance dating back to January 2024 against Afghanistan in Indore.

The decision also means that KL Rahul, despite a strong year across formats, will continue to wait for a T20I comeback. The Karnataka batter shone in the Champions Trophy, IPL, and the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, reaffirming his value to the side in ODIs and Tests.

However, his absence from the shortest format since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England persists. Rahul, one of only four Indians to cross 2,000 T20I runs, seems to have been overlooked in favor of younger, more aggressive options suited to the format.

Notably, Rishabh Pant, who made his T20I return earlier this year, is also not in contention for a keeping role due to a fractured toe, he suffered during the England series. This leaves Samson and Jitesh as India's two wicketkeeping choices for the Asia Cup, with both expected to shoulder crucial responsibilities in the middle order.