The Men in Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, are set to commence their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the host nation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today, September 10th, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India, the defending champions, are aiming for a record-extending ninth Asia Cup title.
The Asia Cup 2025 is being held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9th to September 28th. The tournament will be played in the T20I format. The matches will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Eight teams are participating in the tournament: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.
India is in Group A along with Pakistan, UAE, and Oman. Group B consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 stage, and the top two teams from the Super 4 will play in the final on September 28th.
All eyes are on the opening slot, with a potential face-off between Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill. While Samson has performed reasonably well in recent outings, Gill, the vice-captain, is expected to take the opener's slot.
The predicted playing XI for India includes Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy. The UAE's predicted XI includes Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Farooq, Saghir Khan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, and Muhammad Jawadullah.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir has emphasized building a team around multi-dimensional players, focusing on batting depth up to number eight, giving all-rounders a vital role.
Following their opening match against the UAE, India's next challenge will be against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14th in Dubai. India will then face Oman on September 19th at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. A potential third match between India and Pakistan could occur in the final should both teams qualify.
Cricket fans in India can watch the live streaming of the India vs. UAE match on the Sony LIV app and website. The match will also be telecast on the Sony Sports Network in India.
