Asia Cup 2025: Shubman Gill to replace Rinku Singh in India squad, RCB star to be back-up keeper

India National Cricket Team Test skipper Shubman Gill's selection in the T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 could lead to the ouster of the talented middle-order batter Rinku Singh.

According to a report in PTI, Rinku Singh is not guaranteed a place in the India T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, which will be played in the UAE.

Rinku Singh going through a rough patch

The 27-year-old Uttar Pradesh batter enjoyed a big success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and made a name for himself by smashing Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes to seal a miraculous win for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

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His IPL 2023 heroics helped him get his India T20I and ODI caps, and the young left-handed batter started off well, delivering consistent performances.

Many felt that he should be among the first few names in India's T20I team sheet, but a decline in form led to his snub from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

He was unable to get regular opportunities with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, and since then, his career has been on a decline. In the IPL 2025 as well, he was unable to deliver a good performance and scored just 206 runs.

Also Read: Not Kohli or Rohit: Irfan Pathan fired by Star Sports for slamming shocking India superstar!!

Shubman Gill threatens Rinku Singh's place in the India squad

India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 is set to be announced on Tuesday, and Shubman Gill's selection has become the biggest talking point. There have been conflicting reports regarding his inclusion in the squad, and as per the latest report, his presence could be a threat to Rinku Singh.

The left-handed batter Rinku Singh's place in the team has come under scrutiny, and he is not guaranteed a spot for the Asia Cup 2025 and ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

India's top five is set to consist of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya if everything goes well. Even Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill - two of India's most promising batters - are not automatic choices.

Reportedly, the idea behind Rinku's possible snub could be Gautam Gambhir's inclination towards the multi-skilled cricketers.

If Rinku Singh is not picked to do finishing duties, India could go with either Shivam Dube, who can roll his arms over, or Jitesh Sharma, who is looked at as the back-up wicketkeeper-batsman.

I only see Rinku's spot being iffy - Ex-India selector

A former BCCI selection committee member said that India's T20I team is well set with no room for the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, and only Rinku Singh's place is under threat.

"We often hear people saying, one should pick so and so but no one would be able to definitively tell us 'in place of whom'? Shreyas Iyer has 600 runs at a strike-rate of 180 but he bats in top four. Where is the place for him. Even as you include Shubman as he is flavour of the season, where do you cut corners," a former national selector told PTI.

"You can't disturb your top five right now and also pick Shubman. And if you pick Shubman now, obviously the Test captain and IPL team captain won't sit out."

"So where do you make the compromise? I only see Rinku's spot being iffy as he isn't required as much some of the top order batters. And mind it, we aren't even talking about Jaiswal," the former selector added.