Team India are holding intense practice sessions in Dubai as they prepare for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. Ahead of the tournament, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared his preferred playing XI.
Since the squad announcement, one big debate has been about the opening combination. Should Sanju Samson open with Abhishek Sharma, or should the newly appointed vice-captain, Shubman Gill, take the role? Pathan has made his choice clear, backing Gill and Abhishek as the opening pair. He did not rule Sanju out either.
The junior of the Pathan brothers even compared Gill’s potential to that of Virat Kohli in T20Is.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan said: “Shubman Gill can do the work the great Virat Kohli has done for many years. Kohli has played cricket in his own style. He tried to play long innings and found his own way in T20 cricket. If you (mention) six-hitters, he is not Chris Gayle, but if you look at value, he had a lot of that in T20s. I see Gill as a player of the same mould.”
For the middle-order, Pathan chose Tilak Varma at No 3, followed by captain Suryakumar Yadav at 4. At No. 5, he slotted in Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper-batter.
On the all-rounder front, Pathan had no doubts, naming Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel as automatic picks. In the bowling attack, he backed Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as pacers, with Varun Chakaravarthy as the main spinner.
However, for the final spot, he admitted some uncertainty between Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav.
Irfan Pathan’s preferred Playing XI for team India in Asia Cup 2025
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
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