India Predicted XI vs UAE: Sanju Samson To Miss Asia Cup Opener? Kuldeep Yadav Set To...

India start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with their Group A encounter against hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday. The defending champions, who start as one of the favourties, aim to add a record-extending ninth title to their name. While skipper Suryakumar Yadav made their intentions clear ahead of the competition, questions still remain over the team composition. With Shubman Gill becoming the vice-captain, fans were wondering whether Sanju Samson will find a place in the playing XI. Similar concerns remains over Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh when it comes to the middle-order slot.

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are expected to open the innings with both batters showing a lot of promise in the training sessions ahead of the competition. Abhishek thrilled everyone with his batting show as he slammed '25-30 sixes' during the optional training session on Monday.

Tilak Varma will bat at No. 3 with skipper Suryakumar Yadav coming at No. 4. With Shivam Dube providing a bowling option, he is expected to make the cut for the UAE clash.

Samson, who mainly plays in the top order, is unlikely to play the match with Jitesh Sharma expected to be picked as the wicket-keeping option. Jitesh showed a lot of promise during the IPL 2025 where he was a top performer for champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Coming to the all-rounders, Hardik Pandya will be a significant member of the side with Axar Patel also expected to make the cut. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh will be the two pace options with Varun Chakravarthy as the only specialist spinner.

While Kuldeep Yadav can also feature in the playing XI, it will mean that India will have to drop an all-rounder option.

India Predicted XI against UAE in Asia Cup 2025 opener: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.

Topics mentioned in this article

Sanju Samson Kuldeep Yadav Suryakumar Yadav Shubman Gill India Cricket Team United Arab Emirates Asia Cup 2025 Cricket