India are once again entering the Asia Cup 2025 as the biggest contender. This eight-time title-winning team are also the defending champion, and their performance in recent times have caught everyone's attention. Since the beginning of 2024, this team have proved their ability by winning 28 out of 31 matches. The victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 has further boosted the confidence of the players. Now under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, this young and aggressive team will test its skills on the pitches of the UAE.
Batting strength
India's biggest strength is their new approach. Openers like Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill can change the course of the match in the powerplay itself. In the middle overs, Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav constantly put pressure on the opposition bowlers. This is the same strategy that helped the team score more than 200 many times last year. Finishers like Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma can add quick runs in the lower order.
Variety in bowling
The team also looks balanced in the bowling department. The trio of spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel can put any batting order in trouble. Varun in particular is currently considered India's most successful T20I spinner. At the same time, Kuldeep takes wickets with his cleverness, and Axar contributes with both ball and bat. The return of Jasprit Bumrah in fast bowling gives a strong base to the team. Along with him, Arshdeep Singh has proved to be effective with both new and old balls.
All-round options and flexibility
All-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube in the team give many options to the selectors. Players like Abhishek and Axar add extra depth. This enables the team to create balance and handle the off-day of a player.
Potential weaknesses
Still, some flaws come to the fore. Apart from Bumrah and Arshdeep, the fast bowling options are limited. Harshit Rana is still in the early stages and lacks proper international experience. Also, the team have not played a T20I since February 2025, and may take time to get into the rhythm initially.
Pressure and challenge
India's experience in Dubai conditions will be helpful, but the pressure will also be equally great. Especially in matches against a team like Pakistan, expectations will be sky high. Ignoring the challenge of opposition spinners can prove to be dangerous.
Overall, India's team will enter the Asia Cup 2025 with aggressive batting, balanced bowling and the energy of young players. The weaknesses are clear, but the current form and leadership ability of captain Suryakumar Yadav make them a strong contender for the title again.
India
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
- Reserves: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal
