Sourav Ganguly feels the Indian men’s cricket team would be the favourites for the upcoming T20 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai starting September 9.The selection of the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in T20 format, is still far off, but eye-popping speculations have started doing the rounds. One of the biggest leaks has been that India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, will be making a comeback to the T20I squad as vice-captain in the squad for the Asia Cup 2025.
India’s Asia Cup 2025 campaign starts on 10 September with a group match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai on 10 September. They are also scheduled to play Pakistan on 14 September. The Indian squad will be captained by T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, but he may get a new deputy.
Axar Patel has been the vice-captain in the Indian T20I side recently, but he is set to lose out on that position to Shubman Gill, who has impressed the whole BCCI ecosystem by leading India to a 2-2 draw in a five-match Test series against England away from home.
Shubman Gill to return to India T20I squad as vice-captain
Shubman Gill’s last T20I was against Sri Lanka in July 2024, but he could be seen opening got India in the 10 September game against the UAE, as per reports in RevSportz and News24.
“With Suryakumar Yadav set to be fit for the tournament, which will be played in T20 format this year, Gill is likely to deputise for him. This will not only mark Gill’s return to the T20I setup but also enhance his status as a growing leader in the Indian dressing room across formats,” the RevSportz report said.
As per News24, Sanju Samson could be the opener who may pay a heavy price with the return of Gill to the T20I squad, besides Axar losing his vice-captaincy role. We had reported earlier that even Sai Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who were part of the Test squad in England, are also available for the Asia Cup, but the decision lies in the hands of the BCCI selectors.
Another report in the Times of India has claimed that Shreyas Iyer may also be set for a return. Iyer is back in ODIs and was part of the Champions Trophy-winning squad earlier this year, but his last T20Is came against Australia in 2023.
“We need Iyer’s class and experience in the middle order in all formats,” a BCCI source told the Times of India.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, who fractured his toe in the fourth Test against England, is set to miss out on the Asia Cup 2025. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah may also sit out as selectors look to manage his workload. However, there’s no guarantee of Bumrah’s absence.
“If Bumrah plays Asia Cup and suppose India plays the final, no way can he play against West Indies at Ahmedabad. Obviously, the question arises, do you need Bumrah against West Indies or he plays Asia Cup after a month’s break and plays the two Tests against South Africa. That call, Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir will have to take,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Seeing the overall setup of how the Indian squad of Asia Cup 2025 will pan out, Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly strongly predicts India as the favorites to lift the title of Asia Cup 2025.
Sourav Ganguly predicts India as favorites to win Asia Cup 2025
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has backed India cricket team to emerge as winners of the Asia Cup 2025. The 8-nation tournament, which will commence from September 9 onwards, will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The tournament will mark India’s first T20I series since Suryakumar Yadav and co. thrashed England in a five-match series earlier this year.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Sourav Ganguly pointed out that India were stronger in white-ball cricket compared to red-ball cricket. The ex-India captain said that India were clear favourites, adding that defeating them on the Dubai wicket would be very tough for other teams.
“They are in the middle of a break. After the IPL, they played five Tests and now they will play the Asia Cup from September 9. India are very strong, and if they are strong in red-ball cricket, they are even stronger in white-ball cricket. So, in my opinion, India are favourites, and beating them on those good Dubai wickets will be very tough,” Sourav Ganguly said.
India will commence their Asia Cup 2025 campaign on September 10 by taking on UAE in Dubai. They will then face arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. While there was uncertainty over the high-octane IND vs PAK clashes in the tournament in the backdrop of geopolitical tension between the two countries, the BCCI has received the go-ahead from the Ministry of External Affairs for india to take on Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Asia Cup 2025 will also mark the start of India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 which will be held in India and Sri Lanka next year. India are the defending champions, having lifted the trophy in 2024.
India’s schedule at Asia Cup 2025
| Date | Day | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 10 | Wednesday | India vs UAE |
| Sept 14 | Sunday | India vs Pakistan |
| Sept 19 | Friday | India vs Oman |
| Sept 23 | Tuesday | Group A Q2 vs Group B Q1 |
| Sept 24 | Wednesday | Group A Q1 vs Group B Q2 |
| Sept 25 | Thursday | Group A Q2 vs Group B Q2 |
| Sept 26 | Friday | Group A Q1 vs Group B Q1 |
| Sept 28 | Sunday | Final |
India will play its Asia Cup Group A games against UAE and the high-stakes clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 10 and 14, respectively, while its match against Oman is scheduled at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman are in Group A, while Group B consists of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. This is the first time the Asia Cup, held in the T20I format to prepare teams for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, will feature eight teams.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Fours stage, with the top two facing each other in the title clash in Dubai on September 28. India are the defending champions of the Asia Cup, having beaten Sri Lanka in the 2024 final held in the 50-over format in Colombo. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup in the T20I format after defeating Pakistan in the final in 2022.
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