Defending champions India will aim for a record-breaking ninth title when the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off from September 9 to 28 in T20 format. The 17th edition will feature eight teams, with India placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman, and hosts UAE.
India’s group matches are:
vs UAE – Sept 10 (Dubai)
vs Pakistan – Sept 14 (Dubai)
vs Oman – Sept 19 (Abu Dhabi)
This comes after India wrapped up their England Test tour with a 2-2 draw. Their planned white-ball series in Bangladesh has been pushed to September 2026.
India has been the world champion in the T20 format. This saw them beat South Africa in a close final in Barbados to win the 2024 T20 World Cup. In this article, we look at five Indian players that will form part of the Asia Cup 2025 team yet missed the 2024 T20 World Cup team that won the tournament.
1. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma made his T20I debut in Harare against Zimbabwe in July 2024. Since then, the aggressive left-handed opener has scored 535 runs in 17 matches, averaging 33.43 with a blazing strike rate of 193.84. At just 24, he already has two centuries and two fifties to his name in the format.
In February of this year, Abhishek crushed 135 off just 54 balls in the fifth Twenty20 International match against England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. There were up to 13 sixes and seven fours in the spectacular knock. It would be reasonable to presume that the Men in Blue’s Asia Cup 2025 lineup would automatically include the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener.
2. Varun Chakaravarthy
Leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy returned to the Indian side with a spectacular comeback after a dismal start to his international career. After some outstanding IPL performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chakaravarthy was selected for the home series against Bangladesh in October 2024. He took use of his opportunities by taking five wickets in the three games.
To put it mildly, the leggie was excellent throughout the four-match T20I series in South Africa. With a high of 5–17 and 12 wickets at an average of 11.50 and an economy rate of 8.62, Chakaravarthy emerged as the top wicket-taker. In the five-match home series against England, he took 14 wickets and was named Player of the Series. Chakaravarthy ought to be included on the 2025 Asia Cup team.
3. Shubman Gill
Recently, Shubman Gill, the present Test captain of the Team India, did not make it to the list of players to play in the T20 World Cup 2024, following a lacklustre season in the IPL IPL played by the Gujarat Titans (GT). Gill got limited place in the top order with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opening the innings and Rishabh Pant taking place at number three.
Also, the 25-year-old had missed the home-five match T20I series against England earlier this year. Recently though, Gill seems bound to reclaim the T20I team in his role as a reserve batsman in the Asia cup, 2025 following his astonishing batting display in the Test matches held in England. As sources have reported, it is even a possibility that he will be named the vice-captain of the team.
4. Tilak Varma
Young star Tilak Varma of the Mumbai Indians (MI) was unlucky to fail to make the Indian team to the 2024 T20 World Cup. However since the retirement of Rohit and Kohli to Twenty20 Internationals, he has had the opportunity to establish himself in the team.
In 25 Twenty20 Internationals played, Varma scored 749 runs at an average of 49.93 and strike rate of 155.07. In August 2023 he debuted in T20I, against the West Indies at Tarouba. The 22-year-old slapped back-to-back tons touring South Africa in November last year. The success shown by Varma in T20 will assure him of a place, in the 2025 India team, at the Asia Cup.
5. Washington Sundar
Team India has a good set of all-rounders who can turn matches on its head in the format but Ravindra Jadeja has retired with T20I cricket. They possess Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel for whom Abhishek and Nitish Kumar Reddy can chip in when it comes to taking wickets.
Despite the aforementioned names, Washington Sundar’s contributions may persuade Indian selectors to include him in the Asia Cup 2025 roster. Sundar is at ease bowling in the powerplay and, like Axar, can open the bowling. His ability to make brief cameos with the bat was demonstrated during The Oval Test.
