Legendary opener Virender Sehwag has expressed confidence in the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team to lift the upcoming Asia Cup title, labeling them as the strongest contender.
The continental showpiece is slated to be held in the UAE from September 9 to September 28. The Men in Blue will open their campaign against the UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
"We are world champions. We just won the World Cup, T20 World Cup and I am sure that we are the best team in the Asia Cup and hopefully we will win the Asia Cup," Sehwag told the official broadcaster, Sony Sports Network.
"I think we have very good side and Sky is leading from the front and he's a top player in T20 format. I'm sure that under his captaincy, we will do well because we’ve seen in the past when Sky has taken over, we won lot of T20 games and I'm sure that we will win the Asia Cup also," he added.
Sehwag stressed the continental tournament's importance as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, providing an opportunity to evaluate new players.
"I think in the T20 format, this Asia Cup can serve as a great preparation for our 2026 T20 World Cup. It’s an opportunity to see which new players should be given chances and who can be included in the squad. You can start building a team for the World Cup. In my opinion, there is no better opportunity for the Indian team to check its strength than the Asia Cup," he stated.
While the non-selection of players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer has triggered debate, Sehwag defended the squad selection.
"I think we have a very good T20 selector. I think we have a very good T20 side. Under Surya Kumar Yadav, we’ve done well in T20 matches and I am sure that he'll get the best team that the selectors will give him, and hopefully we will win the Asia Cup this time," he remarked.
The Asia Cup 2025, set to be played in the T20I format, will feature 8 teams and a total of 19 matches, including the title clash.
The Indian team is slotted in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, UAE and Oman while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are part of Group B.
