New Delhi: When the Asia Cup gets underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this evening, India enter as overwhelming favourites. But for the Men in Blue, winning alone is not the goal. It is much beyond that—using this tournament as a rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup, testing some combinations, trying out Shubman Gill as the vice-captain and giving a big platform to players before the big biennial event.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh come with a lot of talent and promise, but it won’t be easy for them to get past the Asia Cup’s most successful team and the current World Cup champions.
India’s selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, have taken some bold calls—settling for a lean 15-member squad when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) allowed 17 and leaving out names such as Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal. This underlined their confidence in an already settled core.
For Suryakumar Yadav, who as a captain has an impressive win record, it is all about continuing the good things and improving on the weak links, even though there not many in his team.
Shubman’s return to the squad (and most likely to the playing XI when India take on hosts UAE in Dubai 10 September) adds class to a line-up filled with explosive batters. And him being named the deputy to Suryakumar also clearly shows the direction the team is heading in terms of leadership choices.
India will open their title defence with the clash against hosts Dubai, before playing the tournament showpiece against Pakistan 14 September, and then the final group encounter against Oman in Abu Dhabi 19 September.
India have already won Asia Cup eight times (seven in ODI format, and one in T20I format back in 2016) and they go in as firm favourites in this edition as well. Not winning would lead to a lot of questions, with the T20 World Cup, to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka, about five months away. The three Asia Cup matches—and possibly more if they make the final—give India a chance to test combinations and set the balance right.
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Bumrah’s return, Arshdeep’s ascendance
Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the T20I setup brings star power to the already potent Indian attack. He has been away from T20 International cricket since the 2024 World Cup in the US and the West Indies, and his experience in the death overs would be invaluable.
Arshdeep Singh is going to be Bumrah’s perfect partner in the UAE conditions. Since the last World Cup, he has picked wickets at a fabulous rate, notching up 36 scalps in just 18 matches at an average of 13.50 and at an economy rate of 7.49, enviable numbers for this format.
Giving them company with the ball would be Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, with Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey in all-rounders’ duty.
The Indian batting line-up has been an unstoppable force. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson set things off with aggressive powerplay starts, while Tilak Varma has cemented his place at No. 3 by scoring consistently.
From one perspective, Shubman’s return would bring stability and leadership but, on the flip side, isn’t it a tactical headache? What should India do: shuffle a top three that has won them many games to bring Shubman back in, or allow the momentum to carry forward?
Middle-order depth is something that India can boast about. Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel not only bring firepower to the side but their flexibility is a bonus.
However, Rinku comes into the tournament after an average Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Jitesh Sharma is the second wicketkeeper in the team and his domestic and IPL form put Samson under pressure to keep his spot.
Rivals & reality check
The central question is less about who can win the tournament but more about who can stop India. Pakistan’s new-look squad under Salman Ali Agha has left out stalwarts like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Their hopes rest heavily on left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and company to blunt India’s batting.
Sri Lanka, now led by Charith Asalanka, remain dangerous but inconsistent, while Bangladesh, as ever, show flashes of brilliance without the sustained firepower.
Afghanistan, with Rashid Khan and their spin-heavy attack, appear the only genuine stumbling block for India. For associate nations like the UAE, Oman and Hong Kong, the Asia Cup is less about titles and more about showcasing growth against the game’s biggest stars—an invaluable stage to showcase their talent.
India’s recent record in the format underlines their dominance. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, they have won 17 of their 20 T20Is, with most of their experiments coming off nicely.
The Asia Cup, then, serves two purposes for team India: a chance to extend continental supremacy and a simulation ahead of the World Cup. For Suryakumar and Shubman, the leadership duo at the heart of India’s plans, aligning strategy now will be critical when the stakes rise next year.
The Asia Cup 2025 is India’s tournament to lose. Their batting sets the modern standard, their bowling combines raw pace and crafty spin, and their leadership group appears firmly aligned. From Shubman’s reintegration to Arshdeep’s rise, from Bumrah’s return to the relentless middle-order firepower, India carry both form and flexibility.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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