Former India cricketer Madan Lal has picked the Men in Blue as a 'strong contender' to win Asia Cup 2025. Suryakumar Yadav & Co. come into the continental tournament as one of thye most in-form T20I sides in the format as they have won all of their last four series in the format.
India is yet to lose a series under the captaincy of Suryakumar and he will now be looking to take his team to a record ninth Asia Cup title. The Men in Blue are the most successful team in the tournament's history with eight titles under their belt. Behind them are Sri Lanka with six triumphs so far.
Madan feels that India should opt to go for a combination of two spinners and three pacers for Asia Cup. He also believes that one of the spinners in their playing XI should be Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner, who hasn't played a match in the format since the 2024 T20 World Cup, has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for the continental tournament.
“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," Madan told IANS.
"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," he added.
Kuldeep impressive numbers in T20Is
Kuldeep has so far played 40 T20Is for India in his career and has picked up a total of 69 scalps. He has a four-wicket haul and 2 five-wicket hauls under his name in the format, including an impressive economy-rate of 6.77. It remains to be seen how the 30-year-old will get a place in India's playing XI for Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, India will begin their Asia Cup campaign with the clash against UAE on September 10 before locking horns against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. They will wrap up their group stage with the match against Oman on September 19.