Ashwin: ‘No Place for Shivam Dube in Asia Cup Squad if Shreyas Iyer Returns’

While much of the spotlight is on Shubman Gill’s place in India’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025, former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes the bigger talking point could be the omission of all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Ashwin said that if the selectors include Shreyas Iyer, then there is no room for Dube in the XI.

“Shreyas at 3. Surya and Tilak can float between 4 and 5. If you are bringing Shreyas Iyer into the scheme of things, then Shivam Dube doesn’t have a place. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will naturally take the two all-rounder slots,” Ashwin explained on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.

Why Ashwin Prefers Iyer Over Dube

• Shreyas Iyer’s IPL 2025 form: 604 runs at a strike rate of 175, leading Punjab Kings to their first final since 2014.

• Batting order balance: With Iyer at No.3, followed by Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, the top five is locked.

• All-rounder spots: Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel leave no space for Dube.

In contrast, Dube—who played every game of India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign last year—scored 357 runs in IPL 2025 for CSK at a strike rate of 132.22, his lowest in four seasons.

Backup Keeper Factor: Jitesh Ahead of Dube

Ashwin also argued that Sanju Samson is the first-choice keeper, while Jitesh Sharma deserves the backup role thanks to his finishing skills.

“If Jitesh Sharma is your backup keeper, then Shivam Dube goes out of the window. Because Jitesh can handle the finishing role. That means your 15th slot is sealed,” Ashwin said.

Bowling Combination Ashwin Prefers

• Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy

• Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

• Ashwin even slotted Kuldeep as a No.8 option, with Sundar at No.14 in his predicted squad.

In Ashwin’s view, with Iyer back in form and Jitesh emerging as a finisher, Shivam Dube has no role in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad—other than as a possible reserve.