Tension Looms Over Rishabh Pant In Selection Process Despite Being Most Expensive IPL Player! News24 –

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad selection is heating up, and it looks like some high-profile names could be left out of the T20 tournament. Reports suggest that Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and B Sai Sudharsan are likely to miss the cut and now, Rishabh Pant’s name has also entered the list of potential snubs.

Pant, who made headlines last year as the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history after Lucknow Super Giants shelled out a staggering Rs 27 crore for him in the mega auction, is reportedly not in the selectors’ plans for the Asia Cup.

According to The Indian Express, Sanju Samson is currently the front-runner for the wicket-keeper-batter role, with Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma competing for the backup spot. Jitesh is believed to have the edge in that race. Despite his big reputation, Pant is expected to miss out, mainly due to underwhelming performances in recent T20 internationals.

Jaiswal is also unlikely to feature, while Rahul, who last played a T20I for India in November 2022, doesn’t seem to be in contention either. The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, are said to be sticking with the core group that helped India beat England 4-1 in the T20I series earlier this year. That squad included in-form names like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Samson.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly wants minimal changes before the Asia Cup, as the tournament will serve as a key preparation platform for the T20 World Cup next year.

Pant’s omission, if confirmed, will be a major talking point not just because of his IPL price tag, but also because his recent numbers haven’t matched his potential. In his last five T20Is (all played in 2024), Pant managed only 70 runs at an average of 17.50 and a strike rate of 127.26 – far from the impact expected from one of the most high-profile players in the shortest format.