India’s squad announcement for the Asia Cup 2025 has stirred major debates, with a few surprise exclusions drawing criticism from fans and experts alike. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee unveiled the 15-member roster, but the absence of some key performers has left many puzzled.
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh voiced his concerns over the omissions, highlighting that a couple of deserving names had been overlooked. Among them, he pointed out Shreyas Iyer and pacer Mohammed Siraj as the most surprising exclusions.
Harbhajan Singh Backs Mohammed Siraj
Shreyas Iyer, who guided Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final and racked up 604 runs in the season, was one of the major talking points. However, Harbhajan was more concerned about the omission of Mohammed Siraj, who has been India’s go-to bowler in red-ball cricket recently.
“I feel that Mohammed Siraj’s name should have been in the team. He bowled brilliantly in the recent series against England. If he had been included, India’s bowling attack would have looked far stronger. The X-factor he brings is something that could be missed,” Harbhajan remarked on his YouTube channel.
Siraj was India’s standout performer during the England tour, taking 23 wickets and playing a key role in securing victories. Despite his impact in Tests, he has not been part of India’s T20I plans since the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
Harshit Rana Picked as Third Pacer
Instead of Siraj, the selectors placed their faith in Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and youngster Harshit Rana as the three frontline pacers. Hardik Pandya will serve as the additional pace option. While Bumrah’s experience and Arshdeep’s T20I record justify their places, the inclusion of Rana has raised eyebrows.
“𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒋, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕,” 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅.
Despite limited international exposure, Rana will be tested on the big stage, especially with expectations running high. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna, who bagged the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets, is among the reserves. Siraj himself had a decent IPL campaign for the Gujarat Titans, claiming 16 wickets.
As the Asia Cup approaches, questions linger over whether the omission of proven performers like Siraj could hurt India’s balance, particularly in crunch situations.
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