Asia Cup 2025: India's Playing XI Announced; Varun Chakravarthy and Shubman Gill snubbed

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has shared his predicted lineup for India’s squad in the 2025 Asia Cup, which is set to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Notably, Kaif left out Varun Chakravarthy and Shubman Gill from his playing XI for the upcoming marquee tournament.

India’s 15-member squad for the 2025 Asia Cup will be announced on August 19 by the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar. Middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav is expected to lead the team. With all key players fit and available, the Men in Blue will aim to defend their title and make a strong impact.

Mohammad Kaif Picks India’s Playing XI for 2025 Asia Cup; Shubman Gill Ignored

On Friday, August 15, in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Mohammad Kaif revealed his predicted squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. He decided to leave Shubman Gill out of the playing XI despite including him in the squad.

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Kaif picked Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as openers, with Tilak Varma at No. 3 and captain Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4. Vice-captain Axar Patel was slotted at No. 5.

Abhishek has scored 535 runs in 17 T20I matches at a strike rate of 193.84, including two centuries and two fifties. He is currently the ICC’s top-ranked T20I batter. Sanju smashed three T20I hundreds in 2024, while Tilak scored 749 runs in 24 innings at an average of 49.93, including two hundreds.

Mohammad Kaif Leaves Out Varun Chakaravarthy in Playing XI

Mohammad Kaif picked Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as all-rounders. They were part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning campaign. Washington Sundar was slotted at No. 8, considered the ideal successor to the retired Ravindra Jadeja.

In the seam department, Kaif included Arshdeep Singh alongside star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Kuldeep Yadav was preferred over Varun Chakaravarthy in the spin department.

Shubman Gill, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj were named in the squad but placed on the bench during the tournament.

Mohammad Kaif’s playing XI for the 2025 Asia Cup: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.

India to Begin 2025 Asia Cup Campaign Against UAE on September 10

The 2025 Asia Cup, hosted by the BCCI, will be held in the UAE from September 10 to 28. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team are grouped with Pakistan, UAE, and Oman in Group A. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are set to host the matches of the tournament.

The Men in Blue will begin their campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by a high-profile clash with Pakistan on September 14. They play their final league match against Oman on September 19.

The Super 4 stage starts on September 20, and the final is scheduled for September 28. There’s a possibility of two India-Pakistan encounters during the tournament.

The 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format, in preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue enter the tournament as defending champions. They defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the 2023 edition, which was played in the 50-over format.

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