Shubman Gill Dropped, Sanju Samson To Open: Mohammad Kaif Predicts India's Asia Cup Starting XI

The anticipation for the Asia Cup has already started to build up. Team India played out a 2-2 draw in the recently concluded Test series against England and will now defend their Asia Cup title in Dubai.

India will start their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10 followed by the big-ticket clash against Pakistan on September 14. No Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India as this edition of the tournament will be played in the T20 format.

There have been a lot of chatters regarding India's Asia Cup squad, as some reports have claimed Shubman Gill might be picked as the backup opener beside Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. On his YouTube channel, Mohammad Kaif has predicted India's starting XI for the Asia Cup and omitted Shubman Gill from the first team.

Samson and Abhishek are tipped to be the openers, while Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav complete the top four. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya also found their names in the team, while Washington Sundar has been preferred over Ravindra Jadeja.

Also Read: Shubman Gill as Reserve Opener For Asia Cup 2025, Sanju Samson at No 5? Ex-KKR Star Suggests Before BCCI Reveals India Squad

Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the bowling lineup alongside Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav will also share the bowling responsibility.

Mohammad Kaif's India Team For Asia Cup 2025

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.

Reserves: Varun Chakaravarthy, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Jitesh Sharma.

BCCI Attracted Severe Criticism For India vs Pakistan Match In Asia Cup

The Future of the Asia Cup had remained under dark clouds. Tensions have been on the rise between Indian and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. The match between the India Legends and Pakistan Legends was called off after a few players, with the likes of Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, refused to take part.

BCCI also attracted severe criticism for agreeing to play with Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Pakistan was the host of the last edition, but the tournament was conducted in a hybrid mode with Sri Lanka hosting all of India's matches, including the final.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 To Start From September 9 In UAE, Asian Cricket Council Confirms