Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin minced no words while opining that India cricket team will surely dominate the Asia Cup 2025. The 8-nation tournament, featuring India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Hong Kong and Oman, kick-started on September 9 while Suryakumar Yadav and co. will play their tournament opener against UAE on September 10. Ahead of India’s first match, Ashwin claimed that the only surprising element in Asia Cup would be if any team can hand an upset to the Men in Blue.
Ashwin unimpressed with Asia Cup 2025
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin reckoned that either the Asia Cup should be expanded to include South Africa in the tournament or perhaps include India A as well. The former Indian spinner claimed that no team could match the might of the Men in Blue, while also noting several weaknesses of other teams in participation. Ashwin claimed that India’s spinners were more than enough to baffle the other teams, let alone the batting powerhouse that the Men in Blue possess.
“They can almost include a South Africa and make it an Afro-Asia Cup to make the tournament competitive. As it is now, they should probably include an India A side for it to be some contest,” Ashwin said.
India’s real challenge in the Asia Cup 2025, at least in the group stage, comes in the form of Pakistan whom they will lock horns with on September 14. The other two matches will see SKY and co. taking on associate nations UAE and Oman on September 10 and 17 respectively. Ashwin dismissed the event as a curtain raiser for T20 World Cup 2026 while also noting that this wasn’t a major yardstick at all.
“This is not some curtain raiser for the 2026 T20 World Cup, it’s only a curtain. This tournament isn’t some major yardstick for it,” Ashwin added.
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