Former India cricketer R Ashwin has unveiled his predicted India XI for their first game of the Asia Cup 2025. India will clash with the UAE in the Asia Cup 2025 on September 10, 2025, in Dubai.
There has been a debate on who should open for India, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson doing well for the past few games. Both have scored centuries, with Samson scoring three T20I tons in 2024, the most by an Indian batter.
However, Shubman Gill was included in the Indian squad for the continental event and was named the vice-captain of the side as well. This means that he’ll be part of the playing XI as well. He has also shown he can be the dependable opener in T20Is thanks to his IPL record.
Gill's comeback to the T20I team is interpreted as a sign that he may eventually take over for skipper Suryakumar Yadav in that capacity, as the Indian think tank is currently preparing backups for all senior players.
On the eve of the game, Surya himself declined to confirm that Samson would be in the starting lineup. In addition, R Ashwin believes that Abhishek Sharma and Gill will open for India in the 2025 Asia Cup opener in Dubai.
“Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Folks get scared with that opening combination. Shubman Gill knows he needs to make runs, and he will want to make runs. He is a run machine. He can make big runs at a lower strike rate.
Abhishek Sharma will tee off at one end. Shubman Gill could be the glue around which the team is built up. In today’s times, there is not a lot of need to become the glue in T20 cricket. But Shubman has it in him to play conventional cricket and still make a 100 off 55 balls,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin then picked Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel in the middle order. Jitesh Sharma was picked as the wicketkeeper in the XI. Apart from Axar, Ashwin also picked Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav as two extra spinners.
Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were the two pacers chosen by Ashwin, with Hardik for assistance.
Ashwin’s predicted India XI:
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
