Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
Gill has been named as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy in the 15-member squad, which also marks Jitesh Sharma's return as the second wicket-keeper.
Harshit Rana was preferred ahead of Prasidh Krishna as the third pacer and Rinku Singh also retained his spot.
Check out India's 15 member squad for the Asia Cup:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
SKY enjoys an excellent record as captain in T20 Internationals, with India yet to lose a T20I series under his charge.
The young Indian team routed England 4-1 at home in January-February while beating South Africa 3-1 away from home and a 3-0 series win against Bangladesh.
A destructive batter in T20 cricket, SKY's ability to hit boundaries all around the ground, with his signature scoops and sweeps against pacers, makes him a fan favorite.
Shubman Gill (vice-captain)
Gill's return to the T20 team was unexpected given that India had a settled top and middle order.
Not only have the selectors rewarded Gill's superb showing in England with a place in the T20 side but they have also named him vice-captain, clearly signalling him as the future India captain in all three formats.
Gill showcased his T20 prowess in IPL 2025, smashing 650 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 155.87.
Gill is certain to start in the playing XI but it remains to be seen if he opens or bats at No. 3.
Abhishek Sharma
The young left-hander is the World No. 1 batter in T20 Internationals after his swashbuckling batting performances since breaking into the Indian team last year.
He bounced back after getting out for a duck in his debut, against Zimbabwe, with a 46-ball century in the next ball.
In the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai in February, he blazed his way to a sensational 135 from 54 balls, hitting 13 sixes and seven fours.
A handy part-time spinner, Abhishek adds significant value to the T20 team.
Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper)
On the verge of being dropped from the T20 team, Samson staged a sensational comeback with three centuries in five matches.
Samson and Abhishek have formed a dangerous opening partnership in the past year, with the duo making most of the Powerplay overs to give India flying starts.
However, the five match T20 series against England earlier this year didn't go to plans for Samson as he managed just 51 runs.
But the team management -- especially Coach Gautam Gambhir -- remains confident in Samson's abilities to shine in the Asia Cup.
Tilak Varma
Tilak is a vital cog in India's T20 set-up.
The left-hander sealed his place in the team with back to back unbeaten centuries against South Africa in November last year.
He holds the world record for the most runs between dismissals in T20Is among full-member nations. With unbeaten scores of 107, 120, 19 and 72 in four successive T20Is, he amassed a world record tally of 318 runs without getting dismissed.
Hardik Pandya
One of the world's premier all-rounders in white ball cricket.
He was instrumental in India's title triumphs in the T20 World Cup last year and the ICC Champions Trophy in March.
Not only does Pandya play the role of a finisher with the bat, he also plays a vital role with the ball as the third seamer to add much-needed balance to the team.
He has plenty of experience of T20 cricket, having featured in more than 300 T20 matches, in which he has amassed 5,575 runs at a strike 142.47, along with 204 wickets.
Axar Patel
Axar has emerged as a key all-rounder for India in T20s, having played vital cameos with the bat in the T20 World Cup 2024 final and the Champions Trophy final.
He is more than useful with the ball as a left-arm spinner -- not only stifling runs in the middle overs but also picking up wickets consistently.
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah last featured for India in the T20 World Cup 2024 where he was named the player of the tournament -- after picking up 15 wickets in eight games at an incredible economy rate of 4.17.
He played just three Tests in England to manage his workload before he expressed his availability for the Asia Cup next month, where he will spearhead India's bowling attack.
Bumrah enjoys a superb record in T20 Internationals, having taken 89 wickets in 70 matches at an economy rate of 6.27.
Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep has emerged as India's most dependable bowler in the T20 format.
The left-arm pacer was India's highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup last year, with 17 wickets from eight games, including excellent figures of 2/20 in the final against South Africa.
His ability to swing the new ball and maintain control in the death overs makes him an indispensable member of the T20 team.
Varun Chakravarthy
Chakravarthy has been a revelation for India in T20 cricket. He enjoyed a dream run with the ball in back-to-back series against South Africa (away) and against England (home), claiming 26 wickets in nine matches, including two five-wicket hauls.
His confidence will be high after taking nine wickets in three matches during the Champions Trophy in the UAE, the same venue as the Asia Cup.
Varun has been a consistent performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders in recent years, where he has taken 100 wickets in 84 games at an economy rate of 7.57.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep hasn't played T20s for India since the World Cup last year, where he excelled with the ball to claim 10 wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 6.95.
He will be looking forward to getting a game after spending the entire England Test series on the bench.
Kuldeep did well for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, with 15 wickets from 14 matches.
Overall, he boasts of a good record in T20 Internationals, with 69 wickets from 40 games at an economy rate of 6.77.
The wrist spin duo of Kuldeep and Chakravarthy can be handful for any batting side in the world if the pitches offer a bit of assistance.
Shivam Dube
Dube retained his place after a couple of power-packed knocks in the home series against England.
Dube, who was also a part of the T20 World Cup winning team last year, is capable of providing the fireworks at the end and a few useful overs of seam bowling.
Rinku Singh
=Rinku managed to keep his place in the 15-member squad, edging out the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag.
Rinku, the designated finisher, has struggled for consistent game time in the last few series. He played just three matches in the series against England, in which he got to bat in two matches -- and in the South Africa series before that he barely got any time at the crease.
Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper)
Jitesh was preferred as the second wicket-keeper after his fine showing as the finisher for RCB in IPL 2025.
He smashed 261 runs in 15 matches for RCB at a strike rate of 176.35 batting lower down the order.
If Gill replaces Samson as the opener, then Jitesh could play as the wicket-keeper and also double up as the finisher in the lower order.
Harshit Rana
Rana must consider himself lucky to picked ahead of Prasidh Krishna, who missed despite his superb showing with the ball in England.
Prasidh was the highest-wicket taker in IPL 2025 -- 25 wickets in 15 matches for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025.
Rana made a superb start to his India T20 career, taking 3/33 after coming in as the concussion substitute for Shivam Dube against England in Pune in January.
He took 15 wickets in 13 matches for KKR in IPL 2025 but struggled with his control as he went for more than 10 per over.
Photographs: BCCI
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