"I can almost guarantee that Mohammad Shami won't be there" - Aakash Chopra on India's 2025 Asia Cup squad

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Mohammad Shami will almost certainly not be a part of the Men in Blue's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. However, he reckoned that the squad that played the home series against England earlier this year won't see too many other changes.

The 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. India are clubbed alongside Pakistan, Oman and the UAE in Group A for the preliminary phase of the tournament.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator was asked about India's potential squad for the Asia Cup. While observing that Jasprit Bumrah's selection would be subject to his availability, he virtually ruled out the possibility of Shami being retained.

"Bumrah, once again, availability will be a question. However, if he is available, because if he doesn't play the fifth Test as well, then he should be playing the Asia Cup, is what I am thinking. It will be interesting to see what sort of team is picked, but it cannot be too dissimilar to the one that was picked last time," Chopra said (3:05). "I can almost guarantee that Mohammad Shami won't be there in that because Shami was only being played to test his fitness and prepare him for the Champions Trophy. Now that bus has sailed, and if he is not part of Tests, I don't see him playing T20 cricket at this point in time," he added.

Mohammad Shami has picked up 27 wickets at an economy rate of 8.95 in 25 T20Is. He accounted for three dismissals at an economy rate of 9.09 in two T20Is in the home series against England.

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"Will it be that straightforward?" - Aakash Chopra on Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill's place in India's 2025 Asia Cup squad

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal haven't been part of India's T20I sides lately. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Indian selectors might want to include Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup squad, but would likely find it difficult to accommodate them.

"We are reaching a very interesting phase where you will wish to make a place for Yashasvi Jaiswal and also for Shubman Gill, but with what face will we ask the previous team to be changed? They play incredibly well when we play T20Is. There will be a temptation to make Yashasvi or Shubman Gill part of the team, but will it be that straightforward?" he said.

The former India opener added that Rishabh Pant might have been in the selectors' thoughts, but the foot injury he sustained in the fourth Test against England would likely rule him out of contention.

"There might have been talk about Rishabh Pant as well, but it won't happen now because he will return after getting fit from a long-term injury. In any case, he wasn't a part of the T20 team either. Sanju Samson is opening with Abhishek Sharma there," Chopra observed.

Rishabh Pant suffered a fracture after under-edging a Chris Woakes delivery onto his foot in India's first innings of the drawn Manchester Test. The wicketkeeper-batter is unlikely to recover in time for the continental tournament.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer