A surprising scene unfolded at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Tuesday during India’s squad announcement for the Asia Cup 2025. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was about to respond to a question on the India–Pakistan fixture when the BCCI media manager quickly stepped in, stopping him from commenting.
The move left reporters stunned and instantly sparked chatter, especially with India’s high-voltage clash against Pakistan scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. Given the tense backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India’s military response, the encounter was always bound to carry more weight than just cricket.
India Could Face Pakistan Thrice
If both teams progress as expected, India and Pakistan might square off three times in the tournament — in the group stage, again in the Super Four on September 21, and possibly in the grand final on September 28. For fans, that means not just one but potentially three blockbuster contests in the span of two weeks.
Key Talking Points From the Squad
While the press conference had its moment of drama, the squad itself offered plenty of cricketing headlines. Suryakumar Yadav will continue as captain, with Shubman Gill taking on the role of vice-captain. Perhaps the biggest boost is the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been named in the T20 side for the first time since last year’s World Cup.
Agarkar, before being cut off, did manage to touch on Bumrah’s inclusion, stressing that the fast bowler’s fitness and workload would be closely tracked ahead of the busy calendar, which also includes a home Test series against the West Indies in October.
India Squad for Asia Cup 2025
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Shubman Gill (VC)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Harshit Rana
- Rinku Singh
Standby Players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel
What’s Next
India begin their campaign on September 10 against uae, but the countdown has already begun for the big one — India vs Pakistan on September 14. With emotions running high on and off the field, the Dubai clash promises to be one of the defining moments of the Asia Cup 2025.
