Live - Gill named vice-captain for Asia Cup, Shafali misses World Cup bus

Action packed afternoon! Two big tournaments. Two big squads. Lots of talking points. We'll analyse them all for you. Do come back to catch the analysis on ESPNcricinfo.

Harmanpreet Kaur: "We've had a lot of coaches come and go. After Amol sir's coming, there's stability within the group. Players are also extremely happy. Support from selectors has to be appreciated too/"

"This was the shortest selection meeting we've had, hopefully it'll be the best meeting too"

Selector Neetu David: "Renuka has been a precious player for us. She had niggles and been out of the game, but is available. Is our main player. This is a main event, great she's part of the team."

"She's one of the important players, she's at COE, working on a few small niggles. We've rested her for the Australia series so that she can fully be available for the World Cup."

ESPNcricinfo understands that the flaring up of a back injury during the ODI leg of the tour has raised some concerns regarding Amanjot. At the time, Harmanpreet termed her exclusion as rest, but it is understood that the team management was concerned over her injury status and treated her with utmost caution.She's recuperating well and will have the two warm-up fixtures ahead of the World Cup to prepare for the tournament.

"We have Renuka and Kranti [to bowl] in the power play, then have Shree Charani, Deepti and Radha to bowl in the slog overs, Sneh Rana in the middle overs. When didn't want to make a lot of changes, wanted continuity."

Shafali played the Australia A series. She's in the system, not like she's not. We've got our eyes on her. Hope she plays a lot more and garners experience, it'll help serve India in the 50-overs format

Until not long ago, she was India's pace spearhead. She hasn't played since the WPL. In her absence, Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Goud have done exceptionally well. Amanjot Kaur has at times chipped in as a handy seam-bowling option.

If Renuka is fit, can she come straight back in without having played a lot of competitive cricket? Sure, she'll have the three ODIs against Australia and two warm-up games heading into the opening game on September 30 against Sri Lanka.

In such a scenario, who misses out?

Does she merit a place? Her current form has been patchy, both in the England T20Is as well as on the India A tour to Australia (one half-century in six innings). But the other side to it is, among those in consideration, she's perhaps the only one, apart from Smriti Mandhana, who is capable of throwing an attack off gear in the power play.

Interesting that the vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, is part of the selection meeting too.

One of their toughest decisions could be around Shafali Verma's selection. Whether she is selected or not might be decisive to how India plan to balance consistency and explosive potential in the squad. There are also tough selection calls to be made on key players coming back from injury - most-notably Renuka Singh, who hasn't played since the WPL in March due to a stress injury.

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Stand-bys: Prasidh, Washington, Parag, Jurel, Jaiswal

Abhishek Nayar, former India assistant coach: "Can't fathom how Iyer misses out from a 20-member long list. (15 squad, five reserves). Maybe they aren't looking at him from a T20 prism. Any selection is about who you like a little more than another, that can be a tipping point sometimes. Maybe Iyer is not liked as someone else is, maybe."

One pertinent thing to note. Agarkar announced Jitesh ahead of Samson while announcing the squad.

Wonder if that's a small hint that Gill is a lock-in to open with Abhishek, with Samson being a back-up opener. In which case, Jitesh plays as the first wicketkeeper.

Agarkar has, of course, clarified that his committee's headache is only to pick the squad. The XI will be picked by the captain & coach.

Agarkar also made another pertinent point that Samson played [over the past year or so on a regular basis] only because Gill wasn't available [due to Test commitments].

"Post last T20WC, we spoke a lot on how to go about it. We spoke about let's not think of milestones ahead, follow your journey. Been a completely different cricketer post that. The way he performed in the IPL and domestic tournaments he played, he's done really well, has earned his spot again."

Ajit Agarkar is stopped from answering a question on the India-Pakistan game on September 14.

"Has played really well in the IPL. Concussion replacement game in Pune, was MoM in the last game he played for India. Back his skills, we know he can deliver."

Agarkar: "Captain-coach will take the call on the best balance for the team. Once we get to Dubai, will have a bit more clarity. More options available now, Shubman been in great form anyway last few months. So has Sanju. so two good options, along with Abhishek."

Agarkar: "He's always be in the scheme of things. At the moment, we have two mystery spinners/wristspinners in Varun and Kuldeep, and Axar has been around for a while. When we need four spinners - he may always be in the mix. For now, we felt we needed an extra batter in Rinku. And you could only pick 15. If there were 16, maybe he could've been in."

Agarkar on Jaiswal: "It's unfortunate. With what Abhishek has done over the last year or so, plus he give us a bowling option is required. One of these guys was always going to miss out.

Agarkar on Shreyas: "Again no fault of his. Got to tell me who he can replace? At the moment, will have to wait for his chance."

Surya: "First big tournament after last year's T20 WC. It's a good tournament to test ourselves. Lot of T20s after this also. The journey starts from here."

Agarkar: "We had an idea after last WC which way we're going to go. You want to give the 16-17-18 guys you've identified to be in the best form going into the WC."

"I don't think there's any written plan. Been a nice break after the England series. Physios, team management and people concerned have always been in touch. Tried to look after him since we know how valuable he is. Clearly we want him available for all the big games. There are WCs, CT, big series like England, Australia - you want him available. Because he's picked up injuries over the last 2-3 years, because of how special and unique it is - it won't change. Based on how he's feeling and how we require him, we hope he's available more often than not"

"Last time when he played T20 post WC, when we went to SL, he was vice-captain. That's where we started new cycle for T20WC. After that we got busy with Test cricket, and he didn't get opportunities. We're happy to have him.

The press conference is likely to start at 2.45pm

You'd think Sanju Samson is a lock-in.

But if India are looking at bringing in Jaiswal or Gill at the top, with Tilak, Iyer, Surya all in prolific form, it could be tough for Samson to be a part of the middle order.

This means the second wicketkeeper will likely be a middle-order finisher.

If this is the line of thinking, then Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel are likely to come into the mix. Jitesh is believed to already be training in Dubai, and is coming off an excellent title-winning season with RCB.

Will he be the frontrunner?

His last T20I innings was a Player-of-the-Match performance in Bangalore against Australia, where he scored a critical 54 in trying conditions.

Here's what Abhishek Nayar, a man who knows Shreyas Iyer perhaps the best:

"Do I think he deserves it? 100%"

"Should he be there? 100%"

"If he's there, he should be at No. 3."

It starts with the Asia Cup, where they could play a maximum of seven matches (if they reach the final). Then they travel to Australia for five T20Is in October-November, before hosting South Africa in December and New Zealand in January for the same number of matches. So, India are looking at 22 matches ahead of their title defence.

Rinku Singh's inability to bowl could be his biggest hindrance ye, since the position he occupies is such that you're going to possibly bat 15-20 balls at best.

He averaged 12.18 balls per innings at IPL 2025, hitting 206 runs at a strike rate of 153.73. Prior to that, he made 39 in two innings against England. The debate will be if an allrounder, like Washington Sundar or Riyan Parag - who can consistently giver you overs - be picked ahead of Rinku.

Since the IPL, Rinku has started bowling a lot more regularly with his low-arm slingers, of the kind Kedar Jadhav used to deliver during his time. Wonder if that's a sign of him wanting to turn into a batting allrounder, someone who aspires to regularly deliver 1-2 overs?

Here's the former India spinner on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat': "No place for Shubman Gill in this team. Does he deserve it, by performances and volume of runs ? Yes. But those who've performed earlier have to be picked for the Asia Cup. After this, India play 15 more games, you can try and rotate a few people. There will be pressure on some people. Most certainly for those at the top of the order - Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Yashasvi Jaiswal is my back-up opener."

Ajit Agarkar's press conference to announce the squad was due to begin at 1.30pm. We're looking at a massive delay. The meeting cannot be convened until secretary Devajit Saikia arrives.

Remember, later this evening, we also have Neetu David & her panel meeting to pick India's squad for next month's Women's World Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur has checked in.

The Asia Cup final is on September 28, and India's home Test series against West Indies starts on October 2.

Gill is coming off an incredible run in his maiden Test tour to England, where he also captained for the first time. He has also been named in North Zone's squad for the season-opening Duleep Trophy.

Should he be preserved for the start of the Test season rather than risk overloading him now, considering the runway to next year's T20 WC is long?

Outside the Asia Cup, India will have possibly 14 more games.

Remember, when India won the T20 World Cup in 2024, Jaiswal was the reserve opener, while Gill was a travelling reserve. Since then, India's T20I selections have been influenced by scheduling and injuries, which has led to Jaiswal and Gill missing a lot of bilateral matches to prioritise Test cricket.