Asia Cup 2025 is being held in the UAE, and in such a situation, it is very important for the Indian team to create a balanced and flexible combination. The pitches are generally considered slow and supportive of spinners, so the challenge before the selectors and team management is how to give equal strength to both batting and bowling departments. Under this thinking, there is a lot of discussion on a possible best playing XI, and many experts are considering this combination to be strong.
The batting order starts with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Gill's experience and consistency give confidence to hold the innings, while Abhishek is adept at scoring runs quickly in the initial overs. After this, captain Suryakumar Yadav comes at number three, whose aggressive batting and ability to adjust according to the circumstances strengthen the team. Tilak Varma is at number four, who is technically competent and also has the strength to play big shots.
The presence of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson at the fifth position brings balance. Samson can score runs quickly as well as hold the innings when needed. After this, the all-rounder pair of Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will play an important role. Hardik is reliable in both fast bowling and big shots, while Axar gives the team a double advantage with his left-arm spin and useful batting.
In the bowling department, the responsibility of spin will be on two different styles of bowlers, like Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Varun's mystery spin and Kuldeep's chinaman can trouble the opposition batsmen. The return of Jasprit Bumrah in the pace attack is the biggest relief. His edge with the new ball and accurate bowling in the death overs can be a challenge for any team. Arshdeep Singh should be included with him, whose death overs bowling has made an impact in the past years.
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Opener | Shubman Gill (vc) |
| Opener | Abhishek Sharma |
| No. 3 Batter | Suryakumar Yadav (c) |
| No. 4 Batter | Tilak Varma |
| No. 5 Batter | Sanju Samson (wk) |
| All-rounder | Hardik Pandya |
| All-rounder | Axar Patel |
| Spinner | Varun Chakravarthy |
| Spinner | Kuldeep Yadav |
| Pacer | Jasprit Bumrah |
| Pacer | Arshdeep Singh |
However, there is also discussion that if the UAE pitches give some help to the fast bowlers, then Harshit Rana can get a chance. Apart from this, the names of Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube are also coming up as possible options, especially for the role of lower-order finisher. Nevertheless, the current combination seems to be a symbol of balance and strength for the Indian team, and that is why it is being considered the best for the Asia Cup 2025.
