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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee head, Ajit Agarkar, has revealed the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025, and some choices are quite odd. Shubman Gill is back in the T20I setup, even as vice-captain, but young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been doing very well since joining the team, didn’t make the cut. Jaiswal was even India’s backup opener in the T20 World Cup 2024, but now he may have to rethink his career path.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a very smart cricket analyst, is shocked by some of Agarkar’s choices. In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin mentioned that Jaiswal’s exclusion from the Asia Cup might force him to change his approach to the game. The left-handed batter might start focusing on his own performance instead of the team’s needs because of this setback.

Jaiswal took full advantage of his chance in Test cricket. He’s easily the most successful Test batter to debut for India recently. He did great in every format he played, and what more can you ask for? He did well but still lost his spot.

Now, he needs to rethink his plans, and I hope he gets another chance. Jaiswal didn’t miss any opportunities, and there was even a leadership role available for him. Now, the only spot left is Abhishek Sharma’s, and they’ll have to compete for it, Ashwin stated.

The former India spinner also noted Jaiswal’s impressive strike rate in the shortest format, pointing out that the opener ‘plays for the team, not just himself,’ yet he’s facing this setback while Shubman Gill is brought into the team.

His strike rate in this format is 165. It’s rare to find someone like Jaiswal because he often puts the team first. I’ve seen other batters like that too, such as Shreyas. They don’t play selfishly; if there’s a chance to hit the ball, they take it. Casual players might hesitate, but these players prioritize strike rates and scoring. It took a while to get players like that into the India team.

That’s a big statement. It’s unfortunate that T20 has become a place where players have to fight for their spots, Ashwin said.