The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a dynamic 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Shubman Gill was named a vice-captain. The prestigious tournament, which returns to the T20 format this year, will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 28.
Suryakumar Yadav is one of India’s most consistent T20 performers in recent years. Now, he steps into the leadership role fresh off a recovery from a sports hernia surgery. The procedure was conducted in Munich, Germany. It took place shortly after his impressive IPL season. You might recall that he finished as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer.
Joining Yadav at the helm is Shubman Gill, who has been appointed vice-captain. Gill is primarily known for his Test and ODI exploits. His return to T20 Internationals comes over a year after his last appearance in the shortest format, against Sri Lanka in July 2024.
The Indian squad for the 17th edition of the Asia Cup boasts a potent mix of youth and experience. World’s top two T20 batters, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, have secured spots in the main lineup. This underlined India’s commitment to building a future-ready team. Both players manifest consistency and attacking prowess in cricket.
On the bowling front, the pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. The latter holds the title of India’s top-ranked T20 fast bowler. In the spin department, Varun Chakravarthy, ranked fourth in the world, will be the go-to man. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will offer variety in the spin unit, providing both control and wicket-taking abilities.
The all-round department is bolstered by the presence of Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel. All of them are capable of changing the course of a match with either bat or ball. The wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson.
India will kick off their campaign against hosts UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium. All eyes will then turn to the marquee clash on September 14. On this day, India takes on arch-rivals Pakistan in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the group stage.
India enters the tournament as the defending champions. They lifted the Asia Cup title in the ODI format in 2023. Historically, India has dominated the continental tournament, with a record eight titles to their name. However, it was Sri Lanka who clinched the last T20 edition in 2022, defeating Pakistan in the final.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup on the horizon, the Asia Cup will serve as India’s only multi-team rehearsal before the global event. The squad selection reflects a strategic approach, balancing experienced performers with the next generation of T20 talent.
Standby players include Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They ensure depth and backup across all departments.
All eyes will be on Suryakumar Yadav and his team as they aim to defend the title and fine-tune their squad ahead of bigger challenges next year.
Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh
Standby players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal
