Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and the national selectors have backed Sanju Samson to open the Indian innings in the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE.

The Kerala wicket-keeper batter is part of India's 15-member squad, read out by selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Sanju had been overlooked for the Champions Trophy (50-over), which was held in Pakistan and the UAE earlier this year.

An interesting inclusion was Shubman Gill, who has also been made vice-captain of the side. Gill, who captains India in Tests, was expected to sit out, but the selectors have placed trust in him to perform in all formats. 

ADVERTISEMENT

India are the reigning World Cup winners, but two of their stars from the mega event in 2024 — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — have retired from the format, leaving space for the young brigade.

The Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. India are in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, the hosts and Oman.

ADVERTISEMENT

India's squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), 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

TAGS

Google News Add as a preferred source on Google
The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.