Top 3 players to watch from India ahead of Asia Cup 2025

The 2025 season of the Asia Cup is knocking on the door as most teams have started their last-minute preparation. India, since the end of the fifth Test of the five-match series against England at the Kennington Oval, hasn’t played any competitive game and will turn up straight into the event.

They will be back in action in the T20 format of the Asia Cup. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates are preparing for a tri-series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, while Sri Lanka is facing Zimbabwe in an away T20I series. India’s opening game against the Arab Emirates will be on September 10 in Abu Dhabi.

Shubman Gill, after his famous 750+ run series in the United Kingdom during the summer, has returned to the shortest format with an additional responsibility of T20I captaincy. Suryakumar Yadav is the leader of the group, as Jitesh Sharma, the wicket-keeper batter, is expected to come at number six in the batting line-up.

Let’s take a look at the top 3 players to watch from India ahead of Asia Cup 2025.

3. Hardik Pandya

India’s premier pace bowling all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, brings the best balance to the team in the shortest format. With his ability, he can bat at number six in the lower order and can also offer four overs with the ball in the middle order. That provided the management with the option to play either an extra batter or bowler in the eleven.

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Overall, Hardik has smashed 1812 runs in 90 innings of T20Is at an average of 27.87 and a strike rate of 141.67, with the help of five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 71 runs. In the bowling department, the right-arm pacer has picked up 94 wickets in 102 innings at an average of 26.43 and an economy rate of 8.20, thanks to the best figure of 4/16 in an inning.

During the IPL 2025, for the Mumbai Indians, Hardik smashed 224 runs in 12 innings at an average of 24.88 and a strike rate of 163.50 with the best score of unbeaten 48 runs. With the ball, he collected 14 wickets at an economy rate of under 10.

In T20s, Hardik has overall drilled 5575 runs in 263 innings at an average of just under 30 and a strike rate of 142.47 with 21 fifties, while with the ball, he has picked 204 wickets at an average of 28.11 in 242 innings.

2. Suryakumar Yadav

India’s T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, is known for his aggressive batting skills in the shortest format of the game. At number four, the right-handed batter has displayed all the power and skills to blossom in batting.

In 79 innings of the shortest format, Sky has smashed 2598 runs at an average of 42.33 and a strike rate of 167.07, thanks to four centuries and 21 half-centuries at the best score of 117 runs. On the other hand, in overall T20s, he has clubbed 8620 runs in 301 innings at an average of 35.47 and a strike rate of 153.32 with six centuries and 59 fifties.

During the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League, the Mumbai batter has got 717 runs in just 16 innings at an average of 65.18 and a strike rate of 167.91 with five fifties at the best score of unbeaten 73 runs.

3. Jasprit Bumrah

The premier pacer of the Blue Brigade, Jasprit Bumrah, is the best all-format bowler in world cricket. Whether it’s about bowling with the new ball inside the powerplay, or in the middle overs, or at the death, the Ahmedabad-born has displayed his various skills.

On T20Is, the right-arm pacer has picked up 89 wickets in 69 innings at an average of under 18 and a strike rate of 16.9 with an economy rate of just over six, thanks to the best figures of 3/7. His contribution with the ball during the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa in Barbados was a prime example of how vital the player is for the Blue Brigade.

During the IPL 2025, the Gujarat bowler collected 18 wickets in 12 innings at an average of under 18 and a strike rate of 15.7 with an economy rate of 6.67, thanks to the best bowling figure of 4/22 in an innings. In the overall 244 T20 innings, he has grabbed 313 scalps in an average of 20.22 and an economy rate of under seven.

If these three players of the Indian team do well in the batting and bowling departments, the Blue Brigade will have the best chance to defend their title, which they won during the 2023 Asia Cup in the 50-over version. The vital game will be against Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE.