Veteran Indian spinner R Ashwin has openly criticized the BCCI selection committee, headed by former pacer Ajit Agarkar, for excluding Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer from India’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The squad, announced on Tuesday, saw the return of Shubman Gill, who has also been appointed as the team’s vice-captain. Gill, who was recently named India’s Test captain, has replaced Jaiswal in the T20I setup, an exclusion that Ashwin finds unfair given Jaiswal’s consistent performances in both IPL and Test formats.
GILL T20I Numbers
In terms of T20I numbers, Gill has accumulated 578 runs in 21 matches at a strike rate of 139.27, whereas Jaiswal has scored 723 runs in 23 games with a significantly better strike rate of 164.31. Notably, Jaiswal was also part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2024 a tournament Gill did not feature in.
Ajit Agarkar, explaining Jaiswal’s omission, pointed to the stiff competition with Abhishek Sharma, who currently holds the top spot in ICC T20I rankings. “It’s unfortunate. With what Abhishek has done over the last year or so, plus he gives us a bowling option, it is required. One of these guys was always going to miss out,” Agarkar stated at the press conference.
Ashwin, however, expressed deep concern over how both Iyer and Jaiswal have been treated by the selectors. Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, he stressed the importance of clear communication with players.
“See, I understand that selection is a thankless job. Leaving somebody out, telling someone they are dropped, it is not an easy thing. You have to speak to the players, you have to go through the sadness. I just hope Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal were given a call, and they were told the reasons behind not being picked,” Ashwin said.
He also acknowledged Gill’s T20I selection and his performances in the IPL for Gujarat Titans, but maintained that the decisions were unjust toward the other two.
“Genuinely, I understand Shubman Gill’s selection. He is also the vice-captain. He has scored a lot of runs for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He has credentials to be picked in the T20I setup,” Ashwin continued.
However, he didn’t hold back while expressing disappointment over the exclusion of Jaiswal, who played a vital role as a third opener in India’s successful T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
“When you have Yashasvi Jaiswal as the third opener in the T20 World Cup 2024, to remove someone from the World Cup squad and bring in Shubman Gill. I mean, it’s okay, I am happy for Shubman, but I’m very, very, very sad for both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. It is just not fair to these two kids,” said Ashwin.
The off-spinner also drew comparisons among Gill, Iyer, and Jaiswal to highlight their recent contributions to Indian cricket.
“Iyer went out of the team, but came and helped you win in the Champions Trophy. If Shubman Gill is in blasting form, Shreyas Iyer is in high-quality form. If Shubman Gill is in outstanding form, Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored a match-winning hundred on a tricky pitch in the Oval,” he added.
Ashwin On Gill Leading ALL 3 Formats
Ashwin then criticized what he perceives as a push toward grooming a single captain across all formats, suggesting it may be influencing selection decisions.
“Maybe they are thinking of Shubman Gill as the leader for the future. Maybe he can be the all-format captain. But it is not necessary to have the same captain in all formats,” he remarked.
The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder, who remains active in the IPL, also touched on how Gill’s promotion could impact Sanju Samson’s future in the squad.
“What is sadder is that you have announced Gill as the vice-captain, so Sanju Samson’s place is also under threat. Sanju is not going to play. Shubman Gill will play, and he will open the batting,” Ashwin concluded.