The countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement is heating up, with India’s selectors set to finalise the 15-member T20 roster on Tuesday. While Shubman Gill’s name appears increasingly certain, the position of finisher Rinku Singh is emerging as one of the biggest talking points ahead of the tournament in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Rinku, who rose to national fame with his unforgettable five consecutive sixes against Yash Dayal in the IPL, has been viewed as a specialist finisher in India’s white-ball setup. However, his role has appeared to diminish in recent seasons. In IPL 2024 and 2025, he faced just 113 and 134 deliveries respectively, hinting at a reduced presence in Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting plans. Even under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir last year, Rinku’s opportunities were limited.
With competition for batting spots at an all-time high, his place in the Asia Cup squad is anything but assured. India’s top five – Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya – are considered automatic selections. Adding Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal into the mix creates a logjam that could force selectors to sacrifice one or two specialist roles.
A former national selector, speaking to PTI, summed up the dilemma: “It’s easy to say ‘pick this player’ but difficult to answer ‘in place of whom?’ Shreyas Iyer has 600 runs at a strike rate of 180, but he bats in the top four. Gill is in form and can’t be benched if selected. So where do you make room?”
The current thinking appears to be that Rinku’s position is the most vulnerable. If omitted, his finisher role could be covered by multi-skilled players like Shivam Dube – who offers part-time bowling – and Jitesh Sharma, a wicketkeeper-batter capable of late-order acceleration. With Nitish Reddy unlikely to recover from injury in time, Dube and Jitesh provide added flexibility, something highly valued in Gambhir’s tactical setup.
Given the format and conditions in the UAE, selectors will prioritise adaptability, making one-dimensional middle and lower-order players less appealing. As the squad announcement nears, all eyes will be on whether Rinku Singh, once hailed as India’s T20 closer, can hold his place in an increasingly competitive lineup.
