The Asia Cup 2025 is upon us as the multi-nation continental competition is all set to be staged in UAE this year in a T20 format.
Exactly a week from now, reigning champions India will begin their title defence campaign and in their tournament opener, the Men in Blue will take on hosts UAE.
India are clubbed in Group A in the Asia Cup, alongside UAE, Oman and arch-rivals Pakistan. Their match against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14 in Dubai.
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Last month, BCCI announced the final India squad that will travel to the Middle East for the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav, as expected, retained his place in the team as the leader of the pack, while India test captain Shubman Gill returned to the T20 squad and was appointed as SKY's deputy.
There were controversies regarding the omission of certain players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, who have displayed great form in the shortest format in the past few months.
However, now that the tournament is fast approaching, the team management will start working on chalking out a strategy to approach the matches and select the perfect team combination.
READ: India schedule at Asia Cup 2025
India legend shares valuable advice for SKY on Asia Cup team combination
While the final call on selecting the best possible lineup will of course be taken by captain Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, former World Cup-winning India star Madan Lal has shared some valuable advice for SKY.
Speaking to ANI, the all-rounder said: "Kuldeep Yadav should be included in the team due to his unique bowling style, which is difficult to counter in T20 cricket, though the final decision depends on the wicket conditions and team combination. Two spinners and three pace bowlers should be included in Dubai.
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Lal added: "India is a strong favourite due to their skilled team. The unpredictability of the T20 format and the performances of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, noting that Afghanistan is currently playing well. There is controversy over the team combination, particularly the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer, with selections often decided by selectors and coaches... Afghanistan is seen as a potential challenger to Pakistan, whose current performance and confidence levels are questioned. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are considered strong contenders."
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