The Asia Cup 2025 is almost here and as always, the buzz around who will shine the brightest has already started.
Many experts have shared their predictions, but former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik made his own bold calls.
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Interestingly, he left out big names like Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, instead backing two other Indian stars to dominate the tournament.
Who did DK name as the top run-scorer in Asia Cup 2025?
When asked about the batter who could finish with the most runs, Karthik went with Shubman Gill. He explained that Gill has been in outstanding touch and will enter the Asia Cup hungry to prove himself in the T20I format.
According to him, Gill has both the form and the determination to deliver big scores for India and could easily end up as the highest run-getter in the competition.
“The top run getter in the Asia Cup for me should be Shubman Gill, purely because of the form that he is in. He will come there hungry and determined and make sure he gets the big runs for India,” said Karthik on Cricbuzz.
READ: Asia Cup 2025: Format, teams and groups explained
Which bowler did DK back to take the most wickets?
On the bowling side, Karthik once again surprised many. Instead of naming Jasprit Bumrah, he chose Varun Chakravarthy as his pick for the leading wicket-taker.
His reasoning was clear- Chakravarthy’s mystery spin has worked well in UAE conditions before and his recent form makes him a big threat in the middle overs.
He believes that in the Asia Cup 2025, Varun will once again make life difficult for opposition batters and could finish as the tournament’s top wicket-taker.
READ: Who will open for India in Asia Cup 2025?
Did DK mention any surprise talent for Asia Cup 2025?
Apart from picking Gill and Varun, Karthik also spoke about one player who might surprise everyone. He named India’s Jitesh Sharma as the talent to watch out for.
“He's got the skill set to take India home when it is deep in that run chase or when they're setting a good target,” Karthik added.
According to him, Jitesh has the ability to play match-winning knocks either while chasing or setting up a big total.