3 IPL Superstars Who Could Be Dropped From India's Asia Cup Squad

The 2026 T20 World Cup is approaching faster than most of us think, and the Asia Cup in 2025 would be in T20 format to help the eight teams participating prepare their best for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. 

In that light, Team India, which will once again be the strongest contenders for the Asia Cup trophy, would be looking to field a strong T20 side with players who would form the core of the team that would play the T20 World Cup next year. As a result, some big-shot Indian Premier League (IPL) performers are bound to miss the cut since India is overburdened with options as far as the shortest format is concerned. Let’s look at three such IPL stars who could be dropped from India’s Asia Cup squad. 

Sai Sudharsan 

Sudharsan was the highest scorer in this year’s IPL, where he notched up 759 runs in the season in just 15 games. However, since he’s an opener, he’ll find it really hard to even make it to the reserves in the Indian team because the team is over-flooded with options at the top of the order, with even Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal not having a permanent spot in the 11. 

Moreover, he had a strike rate of 156.17 this IPL season, but the Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma bat at an even quicker tempo. So, it would be a really surprising call if he’s selected in the Asia Cup squad. 

Shreyas Iyer 

Iyer had an astronomical season with the bat in IPL 2025, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 175.07. Not only was he great with the bat, but he also led Punjab Kings to the final of the competition with some special leadership on display throughout the season. 

And yet, it would be a huge call if the selectors pick him for the Asia Cup because the middle-order of the Indian T20I side is absolutely packed with Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in there. There is absolutely no space for Iyer here, and even if he’s selected, he would probably be benched. 

Sai Kishore 

If Sai Kishore played cricket for any other nation than India, he would have been in the playing XI of that country in every single format. However, despite all the skills he possessed and the ones he showed in the 2025 IPL, where he picked 19 wickets at an average of 20.68, he wouldn’t be in the scheme of things for the Indian team. 

That’s because India is loaded with spin options in Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Two of these three are proper all-rounders and can tonk the ball as well. With them in the squad already, Kishore would find it really hard to make the team.