Mohammad Kaif, in a video shared on his YouTube channel, opted for Kuldeep Yadav over Varun Chakravarthy, despite Chakravarthy being India’s top wicket-taker in the recent T20I series against England, where he claimed 14 wickets in five matches to help India secure a 4-1 victory.
For the opening slot, Mohammad Kaif chose Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Since his debut in 2024, Abhishek has impressed with 535 runs in 17 matches, establishing himself as a rising talent. The middle order features Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel.
Yadav, India’s current T20I captain, is set to lead the team in the Asia Cup 2025. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube featured as seam-bowling all-rounders in Mohammad Kaif XI, playing key roles in India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also picked all-rounder Washington Sundar, who impressed with both bat and ball in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah were chosen as the pace duo in his lineup.
Mohammad Kaif’s Predicted India XI for Asia Cup 2025
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
Notably, Mohammad Kaif has left out Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Mohammed Siraj misses out from the pace attack.
India enter the tournament as defending champions, having beaten Sri Lanka in the 2023 final. Their Asia Cup 2025 campaign begins against the UAE on September 10, followed by matches against Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19 in the group stage. Group B also features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. The final will be held on September 28 in Dubai.
