Power-packed batting and rising talent: How is Team India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025 looking?

In less than 48 hours, Team India will be taking the yard for the first time in the latest edition of the Asia Cup.

They will be entering the competition with a clash against UAE at the Dubai International Stadium.

While the Indian squad brims with potential through a few starry-eyed youngsters in the squad, the seasoned likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah might be the key in shaping up how the Men in Blue put up a show this Asia Cup.

Before Team India enter the battlefield eyeing for the continental crown, here’s a quick look at their key strengths and the questions that could define their upcoming quest for continental supremacy.

Strengths:

One of India’s major talking points will be their prized batting unit. With a potential combination of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma up top, they will be looking to strike the perfect chord of consonance between aggression and stability. Abhishek Sharma is all about brutal striking while Gill’s ice-cold veins can provide India with the much-needed platform for a grander crescendo.

With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel to follow suit, India’s middle-order promises scoring fluidity. To cap it on a high, the presence of seasoned finishers in Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh offers them a razor-edge advantage in terms of finishing.

In context of India’s bowling weapons, Jasprit Bumrah will be the face of the pack while the spin twins, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav can very well be the key to piling the pressure on opposition batting units.

Surya’s form and batting till No.8 - the questions that linger around selection

Gautam Gambhir has never been shy of expressing his thoughts when it comes to selection, but a real headache the India coach may face is the problem of plenty.

With excellent options available across positions, he might have to dig extensively to get the right mix in the side.

Another important point is that of Suryakumar Yadav’s form, with the Indian skipper returning to action after recently undergoing surgery. Deemed as one of the best at the moment in cricket’s fastest lane, Indians would be hoping for their captain to find his stride in no time, whose last competitive game came in IPL 2025.

Another piece of puzzle which might need some serious thinking behind it is India’s tail. With the likes of Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy populating the lower half of the batting order, India might coax their top-order to do the heavy lifting. With batting until number seven, this shouldn’t be much of a bugbear unless there is a sudden slide - but the real question is, will India want Harshit Rana’s batting capability at No.8 or go in with an extra bowler?

X-Factors:

It goes without saying that India will have two X-factors going into the Asia Cup. One of them will be Jasprit Bumrah with his majestic calibre while the other is going to be Abhishek Sharma.

Abhishek has already dished out major showdowns not just in the IPL but even for India, with a couple of hundreds and two fifties to his name in T20Is. Boasting of a strike rate of 193.84 in T20Is, Abhishek’s aggressive batting at the top could well bat opponents out of the game.

Bumrah, a true magician with the ball, is one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket. The 2024 T20 World Cup final saw Bumrah almost single-handedly turn the game around when it felt like South Africa were not just primed to win but do so emphatically. The presence of Bumrah imparts stability to the Indian bowling unit while making it terribly unpredictable for their counterparts.

The Indian squad undeniably wears a cloak of promise, and with an exciting mix of old guards and youngsters waiting to make their mark, the Asia Cup will serve as the perfect platform for the Men in Blue to serve a strong statement.

India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh