Former national selector and current Punjab Kings assistant coach Sunil Joshi has backed a forward-looking squad for the Asia Cup 2025, urging Indian cricket to stop looking back and instead focus on building a team for the long haul.
Joshi’s recommended line-up features Suryakumar Yadav as captain, with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill in the top order. Significantly, he believes Gill should slot in at number three rather than open, allowing India to field a left-right opening combination and giving the middle order more solidity.
“There’s no point in looking back; it is better to look forward and build for a longer future,” Joshi told reporters. The rest of his squad blends experience with form players: KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and wicketkeeping options in Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, or Jitesh Sharma. In the all-rounders’ department, Joshi has kept faith in Hardik Pandya (fitness permitting), while highlighting Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as key pieces for balance.
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Joshi stressed that the white-ball game demands batters who can bowl and bowlers who can bat, pointing to Abhishek’s part-time spin and the batting depth provided by Sundar and Axar. “A captain should have 6–7 viable bowling options. It depends on the ground situation, but you need that cushion,” he said.
The former left-arm spinner also singled out Kuldeep Yadav as a match-up bowler, calling him a “great option with the white ball” who can be used selectively depending on opposition strengths.
Looking ahead to India’s upcoming white-ball series against Australia, Joshi reiterated the need for balance. Against power-packed batting line-ups, he believes India must field multi-skilled players to keep options open.
On his IPL assignment, Joshi said he was pleased with PBKS’ progress and is “looking forward eagerly to the next season,” with a close watch on the trading window.
He also offered high praise for emerging batter Priyansh Arya, tipping him as the one to watch out for.
His pick for India’s Likely Asia Cup Squad –
1. Surya K Yadav ( Capt )
2. Abhishek Sharma
3. S Gill
4. K L Rahul ( Wkt kpr )
5. Shreyas Iyer
6. Tilak Varma
7. Hardik Pandya ( if he is fit ) / Prasidh Krishna – ( IPL 2025 – purple cap winner )
8. R Pant / S Samson / Jitesh Sharma – (Wkt Kprs )
9. Rinku Singh
10. Washington Sundar
11. Axar Patel
12. J Bumrah
13. M Siraj
14. Arshdeep Singh
15. Varun Chakravarty/ Kuldeep Yadav
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