Former India player Abhishek Nayar believes the Men in Blue are not only challengers, but big favorites to win the Asia Cup 2025. He pointed out that for the reigning champs to fail to raise the trophy, something has to go wrong.
On Wednesday, September 10, India won the first match of his Asia Cup 2025 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by a margin of nine wickets in Dubai. They will receive their second Group A game with Pakistan on Sunday, September 14, at the same venue.
Nayar was questioned about the strength of the Indian team going into their Asia Cup 2025 matchup against Pakistan during an interview on Sony Sports.
“I won’t call them contenders, they are coming after becoming champions. The kind of squad they have and the way they are playing in this format, this tournament is for them to lose. If they don’t win this tournament, there is something that’s gone wrong.”
Abhishek Nayar
“The squad strength we have and the way our spinners bowled in the last match, I will always believe that if you are bowling well, winning the championship becomes easy. So it’s India’s tournament to lose.”
Abhishek Nayar
The Indian spinners took six wickets in the opening of the Asia Cup 2025 in the match against the United Arab Emirates. Varun Chakaravarthy (1/4 in two overs) and Axar Patel (1/13 in three overs) took at least one dismissal each, and Kuldeep Yadav showed a 4/7 in 2.1 overs.
Abhishek Nayar highlights India’s planning in challenging conditions before Pakistan clash
Abhishek Nayar pondered whether Suryakumar Yadav could have chosen to bat first in order to test themselves in more difficult circumstances after India’s victory over the United Arab Emirates.
“You were expecting India to win easily, but probably not this easily. There was a thought process about whether you could have bowled in tougher conditions, whether you could have batted first, just as an experiment, because you will be playing against Pakistan on the 14th,” he said in the same discussion.
The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster went on to say that India didn’t push themselves hard enough before facing bitter rivals Pakistan.
“So, as a precursor, would you have wanted to understand the conditions? However, Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir had the thought process of playing to win and finishing the match as early as they could. So, a little too easy. A little challenge would have been good because I always believe preparation is only when it’s hard.”
Abhishek Nayar
India asked the UAE to set a target and bowled them out for 57 in 13.1 overs. Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16) and Shubman Gill (20* off 9) put together a 48-run opening partnership in only 3.5 overs, ensuring they reached the goal in just 4.3 overs.
