Having established themselves as the premier men’s T20 team on the planet over the last year, Team India will set out to extend their dominance as they kickstart their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in Dubai on Wednesday (September 10). The Men in Blue will lock horns with the United Arab Emirates, led by the enterprising Muhammad Waseem.
India were last seen in action during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and have more Tests on the horizon. In between those assignments lies the continental T20 competition, although there’s unlikely to be too much overlap in terms of players participating. The Asia Cup promises to be a gripping affair and rarely fails to deliver on its promise of entertainment.
India’s squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
UAE’s squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.
On that note, here are three things to look forward to in Match 2 of the 2025 Asia Cup between India and the UAE.
#3 The Jitesh Sharma vs Sanju Samson debate
Sanju Samson seemed to be fixed as India’s first-choice wicket-keeper in T20Is, but things might have changed a bit. Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain and imminent involvement as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma have thrown up a few questions.
Reports indicate that Jitesh Sharma, who was recalled to the national team, could be India’s premier gloveman at the 2025 Asia Cup. The Men in Blue are searching for a finisher, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru man performed that role to perfection in the last edition of the Indian Premier League.
It’ll be interesting to see which route India take. Gautam Gambhir has been vocal about his support for Samson, and dropping him the second an alternative presents itself might not be a great sign. Nevertheless, this is one of the biggest storylines heading into India’s first game of the tournament.
#2 India will likely come out all guns blazing
India have adopted a high-risk, high-reward approach in T20Is over the last year or so. Although many of their batters are playing the format after a while, they’re unlikely to back down.
Right from the first ball, Abhishek is known to be on the charge. The same goes for players like Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, while Gill himself has increased the tempo at which he bats in the shortest format.
That’ll always make for interesting viewing, especially against a UAE team that has a few solid defensive bowlers.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav’s fitness will need to be watched closely
Jasprit Bumrah struggled towards the end of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. His speeds were down, and he reportedly dealt with a few niggles to his back, ankle and knee. The selectors have picked him for the Asia Cup, though, amid a number of media opinions regarding his workload.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, is on the mend from a surgery that kept him out of top-level cricket for a few months. The Indian skipper, who was one of the standout performers in the Indian Premier League, will want to return to his dynamic best soon.
How the two key players fare will be crucial to India’s future in the T20I format. The World Cup isn’t too far away, and the Men in Blue will want their star men to be firing on all cylinders. That arc is definitely one to look forward to at the 2025 Asia Cup.
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Edited by Sai Krishna
