The Asia Cup 2025 captain press conference has concluded. No clear answers from Suryakumar on India's playing XI. All captain seemed confident and excited, but insisted that this will be a great challenge. Thanks for tuning in!

Do join us the evening for the opener between Afghanistan and Hong Kong!

At the end of the press conference, Suryakumar Yadav hugged Rashid Khan and a few others. However, he didn't exchange any pleasantries with Agha. Both captain said that the aggression is always there when India and Pakistan face-off. 

"In T20 cricket, I don't think there is any favourites. On a particular day, you have to play good cricket. Game can change very fast in one or two overs. Tri-nation series was always like a preparation for us. So, we needed to win that": Salman Ali Agha

"It's been really good. We are playing well and have won three of the last four series. It's going to be a huge challenge as for some us this will be the first major tournament. We are ready for the challenge": Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha on playing without Babar and Rizwan

"Aapko main playing XI message karta hoon. We are taking good care of him. Don't worry, we will make the right decision tomorrow": Suryakumar on India's Samson dilemma

"Yes, as a team, we played a T20I series in January and February. The boys also played the IPL. But yeah, we haven't played any cricket together since June. So, let's see what happens tomorrow": Suryakumar on lack of T20 action for the Indian players

"We have played good cricket recently. We have worked hard. We will try to play our best cricket on that day, be it Pakistan or India": UAE skipper Mohammad Waseem

"Whenever you are coming for a big competition, we come prepared. We have played a lot of ICC tournaments recently. Just keep things simple": Rashid Khan on Afghanistan's rise

"Aggression is always there on the field. Without aggression, you can't take the field. I am excited to take the field": Suryakumar on facing Pakistan.

"Kisne bola? Maine to nahi sun kahin. We are playing T20s after a long time. But we are well prepared": Suryakumar on India being the favourites.

"They are playing an exciting brand, they played a tournament recently, they came close. He said (UAE captain) - they didn't cross the line. I hope they do in the Asia Cup. We are excited to play them": Suryakumar on playing the UAE

Suryakumar Yadav was asked about his hairstyle, leading to a lighthearted moment. The India captain says his team has had a few training sessions since arriving in the UAE last week. He says playing against the best Asian teams will be challenging.

Suryakumar is sitting in the middle with Rashid Khan of Afghanistan. We are moments away from the start of the presser. The ACC president Mohsin Naqvi poses with the eight captains and the trophy.

The re-entry of Shubman Gill at the top of the order has certainly given some headache to the Indian selectors over a realignment in strategy. In Gill's absence, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been opening for India in T20Is. Samson is not an option beyond top three. With Gill now named as vice-captain, he could be well be the one who sits out. Suryakumar could end the suspense soon!

Since taking charge, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth to make sure that the line-up can add runs till as deep as No.8.

Once again, the Indian team is likely to follow the tried and tested template of all-rounders adding adequate balance. The focus will be on Suryakumar, with the journalists likely to question him on what could be India's playing XI tomorrow.

Ahead of Wednesday's game against the UAE, India bowling coach Morne Morkel said the side will not be taking any opposition lightly, especially Pakistan, in their upcoming Men's T20 Asia Cup campaign. 

"For sure, they've (Pakistan) come a long way with their cricket. They've played a nice brand of cricket of late and we're excited for the challenge. We look forward to it and definitely won't be taking them lightly. We respect all the opposition that we play against and that's going to be the same matter against them as well."

The captains of the eight participating nations, including India's Suryakumar Yadav, will address the media soon. The Indian team, considered as the outright favourites for the tournament, is set to kickstart its journey on September 10th against UAE.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the captains' press conference ahead of the Asia Cup. 8 captains will share the same stage hours before Afghanistan take on Hong Kong in the tournament opener.