Asia Cup 2025: Why is Rishabh Pant missing from India’s squad?

Rishabh Pant of India (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

India Asia Cup squad press conference: What Ajit Agarkar, Surya said on shocking calls

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India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025:

Poll Who should be India's first-choice wicketkeeper in T20s? Sanju Samson Jitesh Sharma

India will head into the Asia Cup 2025 without Rishabh Pant, who has been sidelined with a fractured foot. The wicketkeeper-batsman picked up the injury on the opening day of the fourth Test against England and was forced to return home, missing the fifth Test as well. Pant is now confirmed to miss both the Asia Cup and the upcoming home Test series against West Indies.Even before his injury, Pant was not in India’s immediate T20 plans. Sanju Samson has been the first-choice wicketkeeper in the format, with Pant last featuring in a T20 international against Sri Lanka in July 2024 at Pallekele. His absence has only further cemented Samson’s role behind the stumps, while Jitesh Sharma has been drafted in as the second wicketkeeping option.Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya , Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku SinghPant’s recent form also did not inspire confidence. He endured a forgettable IPL 2025 campaign, scoring just 269 runs at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.17. The numbers were heavily boosted by a last-match century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with the rest of the season yielding very little for his franchise Lucknow Super Giants.In the Asia Cup squad, Samson and Jitesh provide contrasting options. While Samson has consistently opened with Abhishek Sharma for India, the return of vice-captain Shubman Gill could push him down the order. If that happens, Jitesh’s power-hitting skills in the middle and lower order could come into play. The final call on who takes the gloves will depend on how the management plans its batting combinations.

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