Win against Pakistan: check, qualify for Super 4: check. With both boxes ticked, India Cricket Team will take on Oman in their last Group A clash of Asia Cup 2025 on Friday. A win or a loss won’t matter. And nobody expects India to lose to the minnows either. The strength India have in T20Is is that they can field two teams at once and both could end up winning against the best T20 teams in the world. And that is the dilemma. Should Gautam Gambhir rotate the line-up and offer chances to the benchwarmers in India vs Oman match before the tricky Super 4, or go with full strength in a dead-rubber?
So far, India have batted just 20.2 overs across two matches. Against the UAE, India took just 4.3 overs to chase a lowly target of 58. And as for Pakistan, it took them 15.5 overs to chase a target of 128. In fact, across two games of Asia Cup 2025, only five batters have faced at least one delivery. The likes of Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are yet to face a delivery. In such a situation, should India opt to rotate?
Bowling rotation
After a long break, the players won’t be seeking a quick break. However, it could be useful. India could use the Oman match as an opportunity to give gametime to Arshdeep Singh, resting Jasprit Bumrah. Not that Bumrah would need a break after bowling seven overs across two matches with a four-day gap between the Pakistan and Oman match.
However, despite bagging three wickets in seven overs, Bumrah hasn’t been at his best yet. He has looked out of sorts at times. He hasn’t hit his peak. With a white-ball tour of Australia coming up, India would want Bumrah to be back at his best. And the more he plays, the better he will get with his rhythm.
As for Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm seamer is stuck at 99 T20I wickets. With Bumrah a must in Super 4 clashes and a three-spinner formula likely to continue in Dubai, Arshdeep may not get a chance. Also, having Arshdeep ready for Super 4 would be crucial, as Bumrah has had a long history of injuries. With temperatures soaring in the UAE, India would be careful with Bumrah.
What about batters?
The one department that should not be tinkered with is batting. Sanju, Hardik and Axar have had no time in the middle. And they would be eager to get a hit. But there is no guarantee that they would get a chance to bat against Oman either. With Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma giving India flying starts, it makes the job easier for the middle order. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have had a good run of form, giving no opportunity to Sanju, Hardik and Axar in low-scoring affairs.
While one might argue that someone like Jitesh Sharma or Rinku Singh should get a look-in, that would mean rotating the batting line-up. Shubman Gill, who will captain India against West Indies just four days after the Asia Cup final, could be rested for Sanju Samson to open with Abhishek Sharma again. That would also open up a slot for someone like Rinku Singh or Jitesh Sharma to come in.
While Gautam Gambhir is not someone who chops and changes too much, India vs Oman match could be an opportunity. Move Sanju up to open the innings for game-time and bring Arshdeep back in place of Bumrah. It wouldn’t be too bad.
India squad for Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
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