India At Asia Cup 2025: Men In Blue Begin Campaign With An Eye On T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav's India squad will aim to defend its Asia Cup title while simultaneously preparing for the ICC T20 World Cup, which it will co-host next year. India begin its Group A campaign against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, September 10.

The Asia Cup 2025, designated to India, will be played at a neutral venue in the UAE. This arrangement adheres to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) guidelines for when the continental tournament is scheduled for either India or Pakistan.

India Vs Pakistan: Resumption Of Ties

The Asia Cup marks a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan, only months after the neighbouring countries experienced serious border tensions in May that disrupted the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League.

India’s government has permitted its national cricket team to play Pakistan exclusively in multi-nation tournaments. The first of a potential three meetings at the Asia Cup will be played on Sunday. Further matches could follow in the Super 4 stage and the September 28 final. India also faces tournament newcomer Oman in the group stage on September 19.

Shubman Gill Returns To T20 Squad

India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill, has returned to the T20 squad after a year away from the format. He last played T20s against Sri Lanka in July 2024, when coach Gautam Gambhir took charge. Gill scored 754 runs in England as India’s new Test skipper, helping his team draw the five-match series 2-2. He now returns as T20 vice-captain.

T20 specialist Suryakumar Yadav retained captaincy, leading to speculation about where Gill will slot into the playing eleven. "He has been very successful in the IPL. He was part of the Indian team earlier, too. The kind of form he is in, it really augurs well," remarked India great Sunil Gavaskar, who is part of the Asia Cup commentary panel. "Having him back was a no-brainer."

Sanju Samson's Place In Doubt

In Gill’s absence, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma formed an attacking opening partnership for India in T20s. While left-hander Sharma has secured his opening spot with a mix of clever left-arm spin, Samson will vie with Gill for the other opening slot.

Since July last year, Samson has scored 487 runs in 17 matches at an impressive strike-rate, including three centuries. However, these three hundreds inflated his run-tally and masked a string of poor scores in between.

Samson scored 111, 107, and 109 not out across five innings in October and November last year against Bangladesh (home) and South Africa (away). Without these formidable scores, he registered only 160 runs from 13 innings.

Samson performs a dual role as wicketkeeper-batter, but should Gill open, Jitesh Sharma provides a middle-order alternative. Sharma helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinch its first IPL trophy, and his hitting prowess in the late overs earned him notice.

Sharma, along with Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Hardik Pandya, provides a solid finishing platform for India, thereby casting doubt on Samson’s place. "Samson should be left alone as opener – he is most dangerous at the top and can win you matches," former India captain and coach Ravi Shastri told the Asia Cup broadcasters. "Gill can come in for someone else."

India's Bowling Attack

Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and availability mean Samson’s position is India’s sole selection headache. Bumrah featured in three of India’s five Tests in England and, after being released before the fifth Test, had sufficient rest ahead of the Asia Cup. The next T20 World Cup is India’s, and Bumrah’s, foremost assignment, and team management is prioritising the paceman’s workload.

Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh will share pace duties with Bumrah, while Pandya will serve as the all-round pace option. He will share all-rounder duties with Axar Patel and Dube. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy are expected to lead India’s spin attack.

The last T20 Asia Cup took place in 2022, with Sri Lanka defeating Pakistan in the final. This edition serves as a precursor to the T20 World Cup in February, where India will play its matches at home, and Pakistan will play its games in Sri Lanka. Since 2016, when India secured the first T20 edition in Bangladesh, the Asia Cup has alternated between ODI and Twenty20 white-ball format.

India's Asia Cup 2025 Squad

Surya Kumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

India's Asia Cup 2025 Schedule

• September 10, 2025 - India vs United Arab Emirates, 2nd Match (Group A)

• September 14, 2025 - India vs Pakistan, 6th Match (Group A)

• September 19, 2025 - India vs Oman, 12th Match (Group A)

• September 21, 2025 - Super Four, Match 2 (A1 vs A2)

• September 24, 2025 - Super Four, Match 4 (A1 vs B2)

• September 26, 2025 - Super Four, Match 6 (A1 vs B1)

• September 28, 2025 - Final

(With AP Inputs)