The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled a 15-man squad, along with five standby players, for Asia Cup 2025. The contingent includes four pacers in the main squad – Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Hardik Pandya – and Prasidh Krishna as a reserve. Suryakumar Yadav and co. will commence their Asia Cup campaign by taking on hosts UAE on September 10.
While India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is – Arshdeep – was an automatic choice, the selectors’ decision to pick a not-so-effective Harshit in the main squad comes as a surprise. Bumrah, India’s hero from the T20 World Cup 2024, will make his return to the shortest format for the first time since June 2024.
Rating India’s pace unit for Asia Cup
1. Jasprit Bumrah (7/10)
There is no doubt that Bumrah is one of India’s most effective pacers in the shortest format of the game. Putting aside speculations that made rounds for weeks, the selectors named the veteran pacer in the main squad – quashing an doubts over his workload management. However, the Asia Cup will mark Bumrah’s return to T20Is for the first time since the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa.
Bumrah played just 8 T20Is in the previous year – all in the World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean. He managed to take 15 wickets at an average of 8.26 and was indeed India’s best pacer in the tournament. Since then, he turned his attention to Tests. Bumrah then got injured towards the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following which he made his comeback in IPL 2025.
He did not have a great IPL season either, as he managed to take just 14 wickets from 8 matches. Keeping in mind that Bumrah will be needed for the series against West Indies and South Africa at home in October and November, one question that arises is – is he really needed for Asia Cup?
2. Arshdeep Singh (9/10)
India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is is arguably the best pacer among the rest of them in the Asia Cup squad. With 99 wickets to his name in the shortest format, the southpaw has overtaken the likes of Bumrah and Siraj in T20Is and will be the spearhead of India’s pace attack in the 8-nation tournament. Unlike Bumrah, who took part in 3 out of 5 Tests in the IND vs ENG series, Arshdeep spent the entire tour warming the bench.
The Punjab pacer was last seen in action in IPL 2025 where he had an impressive campaign. In 17 matches that he played for PBKS, Arshdeep managed to bag 21 scalps, although he was a tad bit expensive.
3. Hardik Pandya (8/10)
Over the last few years, Hardik has gone on from being an all-rounder to one of India’s frontline pacers in the shortest format of the game. In the Asia Cup, the MI captain will serve as India’s third pacer and will play a crucial role along with Bumrah and Arshdeep. With 94 wickets from 114 T20Is, he is India’s third highest wicket-taker in T20Is and the second pacer on the list.
Pandya’s effectiveness with the ball was on full display in IPL 2025 where he finished with 14 wickets to his name from 15 matches. The all-rounder has already commenced his preparation for the Asia Cup 2025 and has been sweating it out in the nets over the past couple of months.
4. Harshit Rana (4/10)
The only baffling selection made in the pace unit was that of Harshit Rana’s. The KKR pacer had a rather poor season in IPL 2025, managing to take 15 wickets from 13 matches despite being a frontline pacer. When asked about his selection, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that he had performed well in IPL, was the Player of the Match in the last game that he featured in and backed him to deliver. However, picking Rana in the main squad over the likes of Prasidh Krishna – who was the leading wicket taker in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets to his name hardly makes any sense. Additionally, Rana has played just one T20I so far.
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