India will open their Asia Cup 2025 against UAE on September 10 in Dubai.
India has been placed in Group A with Pakistan, UAE, and Oman and will begin their tournament on September 10 against the UAE. India will then face Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19.
Speaking about the India XI for the Asia Cup, Ravi Shastri stated that despite the presence of two match-winners in Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy, India should also play Kuldeep Yadav, as the bowler is at his peak at the moment.
“If you have two wrist-spinners of that quality, I would love to have them on my side. I think Kuldeep is at his peak now. He did extremely well in IPL and, unfortunately, couldn’t make it to the team in the Tests in England because of the conditions and the strength that India has. But he will be a vital cog in the wheel in the Asia Cup and going forward, along with Varun and Axar Patel,” Ravi Shastri told Times of India.
He also shared his views on Shubman Gill as a T20 batter.
“Gill has all the shots in the book. He gets the big scores. Just see his IPL record over the last few years. And especially after a tour of England, he will be on a high. But in Dubai, the pitches could be slower, and even the top shot-makers will have to adjust. Having said that, Gill will be a pillar of strength for Indian teams across formats for the next 10 years,” he said.
He gave his thoughts on Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain of India.
“Not really. When you go in with such a strong side, you feel great as a captain. All you want to tell your guys is not to be overconfident. Carry on with the way you’ve been playing T20 cricket. Surya has been leading now for a while, and he’s done an excellent job,” Shastri added.
Afghanistan and Hong Kong will clash in the first match of the Asia Cup 2025 on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.