Asia Cup 2025, set to be hosted in the UAE, will be the first multi-nation T20I tournament that India will be a part of next month after their T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. The tournament will see India compete
in Group A with high-stakes matches scheduled against UAE on September 10, Pakistan on September 14, and Oman on September 19. The tournament, culminating in the final on September 28, can prove to be a vital opportunity for India to test their T20 combinations on spin-friendly UAE pitches, which mirror conditions expected at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is gearing up to announce the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025, with the selection meeting reportedly scheduled for next week in Mumbai, as per Vaibhav Bhola of News 24. Keeping in mind a blend of youth and experience, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee faces tough decisions as they aim to finalize a 17-member squad to defend India’s Asia Cup title, won in 2023 against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format. Reports claim that BCCI’s focus is on balancing current form, fitness, and workload management.
Shubman Gill could lead India at Asia Cup 2025 if Suryakumar Yadav is absent due to rehabilitation
Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, is expected to lead the side, provided he completes his rehabilitation from sports hernia surgery. If he is absent, Shubman Gill, reportedly vice-captain, is poised to take the helm, fresh off a stellar IPL 2025 campaign where he scored 650 runs at a strike rate of over 155. Gill is also a frontrunner to open the batting, potentially alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal or Sai Sudharsan, who performed well in IPL. Sudharsan, the IPL 2025 Orange Cap winner with 759 runs, while Jaiswal’s 559 runs at a strike rate of 160 also bolster his claim for the opening slot.
With Samson likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper. Tilak Varma and Shreyas Iyer are reportedly set for the middle order spots, as both of them had a stellar IPL season as well with the latter taking his team to the final. Finisher’s role could be donned by either Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh. Given the uncertainty around Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management, and Mohammed Siraj’s medical clearance Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are reportedly the first choice seamers with Prasidh Krishna or Khaleel Ahmed as reported backups.
The mystery spin suited conditions of UAE might force the selectors to include Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel. In the possible 17-member squad, Hardik Pandya is also speculated to find a spot pending his fitness assessment.
