The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has officially released the full schedule of the Asia Cup 2025. This tournament, played in T20 format, will start in the UAE on 9 September. A total of eight teams will participate in this tournament, divided into two groups, and 19 matches will be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As soon as the tournament starts, the Indian team management is busy finalizing a squad that has a balance of experience and youthful enthusiasm.
The Indian team will not play any cricket for more than a month at the moment. The long and tiring Test series against England ended on Monday. Now the team’s next assignment will be the Asia Cup 2025. Now it will be interesting to see which players make it to the team for this tournament. However, there is no official information yet as to when Team India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025 will be announced. But the team’s possible playing eleven can be something like this.
India has started giving opportunities to different players for the T20 and Test teams for some time now. In such a situation, the command of the Indian team in the Asia Cup can be in the hands of Suryakumar Yadav, although the regular captain of the T20 team, SKY, is trying to regain fitness after sports hernia surgery. He is training at the National Cricket Academy, and there is still uncertainty about his availability. If he does not play, Hardik Pandya can be the biggest contender for captaincy, while Axar Patel can be his deputy.
Possible Batting Options for the Asia Cup 2025
Sanju Samson will be the first-choice batter in Team India’s batting department. He scored 285 runs in 9 innings this year, averaging 35, and his place in the team is almost certain. His opening partner will be Abhishek Sharma, who recorded a blistering strike rate of 193 in 14 matches in IPL 2025. Yashasvi Jaiswal can be kept as a reserve opener, who will be fielded in case of injury or need.
While Riyan Parag can also definitely make a place in the team. Tilak Verma is also likely to be in the team. At the same time, Shreyas Iyer took Punjab Kings to their second final by scoring 604 runs in 17 matches in the IPL, which has strengthened his claim. At the same time, Tilak Verma is also almost certain to be in the squad and play all the matches, as he scored 343 runs.
Possible Options for Wicketkeeper and All-rounder
Even though Sanju Samson is present on the wicketkeeper front, it is possible that Jitesh Sharma may return as the main wicketkeeper, along with him, Dhruv Jurel’s name may also be on the list. But between Jurel and Jitesh, the RCB wicketkeeper may win because he scored 261 runs while playing for RCB in the IPL and became a contender to come back to the team with his brilliant performance.
Hardik Pandya is a sure-shot all-rounder in the team, who is almost impossible to drop. Along with him, Washington Sundar is in consideration. Washington Sundar may have proved to be a reliable all-rounder for Team India, but he did not get many opportunities in the IPL. Axar Patel will have a place in the team as the vice-captain. There can also be a place for Netlish Kumar Reddy in the team here.
Possible Bowling Options for the Asia Cup 2025
Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakraborty are certain to be in the team. Harshit Rana can also be seen in the team along with them. Kuldeep Yadav’s return is also almost certain; he did not play a single match on the England tour, but his selection in the Asia Cup is considered certain. If Bumrah and Shami are not in the team, then Mohammad Siraj can lead the fast bowling, with Prasidh Krishna also being a strong option.
Players Whose Selections are Doubtful
Shubman Gill is in great form and scored 650 runs in 15 matches in the IPL. Although there is still a lot of time in the Asia Cup, Gill has been out of India’s T20 for a long time. He played his last match against Sri Lanka on 30 July 2024. KL Rahul’s selection in batting is also uncertain, while Rishabh Pant is on 6 weeks rest after a fracture in his toe, and it is not clear whether he will be fit in time or not.
Suryakumar Yadav is also trying to regain fitness, and the situation is not clear regarding his playing. So he is among the potential players and also not. Apart from this, players like Ravi Bishnoi and Rinku Singh may be out of the team due to poor IPL performance. Bishnoi took only 9 wickets in 11 matches, while Rinku Singh scored 206 runs in 13 matches and weakening his chances.
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The biggest concern for Team India is in fast bowling, where Jasprit Bumrah may not play in the Asia Cup 2025 due to workload management. Mohammed Shami’s fitness is also in question, as he is still recovering from injury. At the same time, Nitish Kumar Reddy can also be dropped from the team. He could neither show anything amazing in the IPL nor perform impressively on the England tour.
India vs Pakistan Matches Can Happen Thrice
India has been placed in Group A along with Pakistan, the UAE, and Oman. India will start its campaign against the UAE on 10 September. During this time, there is a possibility of clashing against Pakistan up to three times, which will make the tournament more exciting.
The first encounter will be held in Dubai on 14 September. The high-voltage India vs Pakistan match can also happen once more before the final, i.e., on 21 September. While the final will be held on 28 September in Dubai, both teams will try their best.
Probable Team India for the Asia Cup 2025
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Riyan Parag, Tilak Verma, Dhruv Jurel / Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana / Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakraborty.