The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made significant change to Team India's travel plans for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 which is slated to start on September 9 in the UAE. The 15-member squad led by Suryakumar Yadav, is currently training in Bengaluru before heading to the tournament.
India's Asia Cup squad to leave for Dubai on September 4
In a break from a long-standing tradition, the team will not be traveling together from the BCCI's headquarters in Mumbai. Instead, players will fly directly from their home cities to Dubai, making their journey more convenient. The entire squad is expected to arrive in Dubai by the evening of September 4, ready for their first match against the UAE on September 10. All players have reportedly passed their fitness tests at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
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The team's new travel arrangements are designed to minimise unnecessary transit and reduce fatigue. With players flying directly to Dubai, they will have more time to settle in before the tournament. Their first net session is scheduled for September 5 at the ICC Academy, giving them a couple of days to fine-tune their preparations.
Another factor influencing the change in travel plans for the Indian team could be the intense public scrutiny surrounding their match against Pakistan. With considerable anger among fans, former cricketers, and politicians, the BCCI may want to avoid a media frenzy at their Mumbai headquarters.
On the field, India's campaign is set to begin on September 10 against the UAE in Dubai. The highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals Pakistan will take place four days later on September 14. They will then play their final group-stage match against Oman on September 19. Notably, several players selected for the Asia Cup squad, including Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav, are currently competing in the Duleep Trophy to stay in form ahead of the Asia Cup 2025.
India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel