Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes India will be the toughest team to beat in the upcoming T20 Asia Cup to be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28. Ganguly told the Indian media, “India is currently on a break. After the IPL, they played five Test matches, and now they will go into the Asia Cup. They are a very strong team—they are already dominant in red-ball cricket and even stronger in white-ball formats. On the good wickets of Dubai, India will be very difficult to beat.”
The 2025 T20 Asia Cup will have eight teams, with Group A comprising India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. India, the official hosts of this edition, will begin their campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by matches against Pakistan and Oman. The tournament will kick off with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 9, and the final will be held on September 28.
Reacting to media speculation about Indian team veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing their possible last ODIs during the Australia series in October, Ganguly said he was not aware of any such talks. “I have not heard anything about this, so I cannot comment on it. But performance matters the most. If they are playing well, they should continue playing. Kohli has a great ODI record, and so does Rohit. Both have done well in white-ball cricket,” he said.
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India’s three-match ODI series in Australia will begin on October 19, with matches to be played in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney. The team will also host South Africa for three ODIs in December. The 2026 calendar includes a series against New Zealand, Afghanistan, England, the West Indies, and New Zealand.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup win in Barbados in June 2024. In a surprise move, the duo also retired from Test cricket in a span of a week, just before the squad for the England tour was announced in May.
Ganguly also expressed confidence in Shubman Gill and praised the young batter’s leadership abilities. “He is now the Test captain of India, and he has a very bright future,” Ganguly said. Shubman, 25, recently led India to a thrilling win in the final Test against England at The Oval to level the five-match series 2-2.