The much-anticipated Asia Cup will begin on September 9th and will run until September 25th. The United Arab Emirates will host the marquee event, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi serving as the host cities. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, this edition of the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format. Defending champions India being the absolute favourites to lift the title for another term, the focus will be on their openers, that has some incredible depth, consisting of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India Likely Openers for Asia Cup 2025

It will be a headache for the selectors to pick between them. With still close to one month left for the event, the management will consider all factors, including workload, form, and other various factors, before picking the best opening pair for India. In this article, we’ll discuss India likely openers for Asia Cup 2025, who could be the best fit that take a flight to the UAE.

1. Abhishek Sharma

The rise of a talented left-hand batter from Punjab has been one of the inspiring stories you will see. Abhishek Sharma started his career as a middle-order batter in the IPL, and now we can see his name at the top of the ICC T20I Batters Rankings. He knew that scoring runs at a faster rate was the only way for him to survive at the highest level, and he just executed well whenever the opportunity came. His name will be in the list of ‘India likely openers for Asia Cup 2025’.

He was first picked for the Zimbabwe tour just after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, and he announced himself to the biggest stage with a century in his only 2nd game. Later, he suffered a dip in form, not scoring beyond 20 runs in the next 7 innings. Despite the struggle, he was backed, and when the odds were against him, he made the statement with the knocks of 50 and 36 against South Africa. He then firmly established himself during the 5-match T20I series against England with scores of 79, 12, 24, 29, and 135. Playing an aggressive brand of cricket irrespective of the conditions and opponent will be his main strength. Inconsistency will be his only shortcoming. He will be part of the best opening pair for India.

2. Sanju Samson

With the T20 World Cup is few months away, the management wants a left-right opening combination, so Sanju Samson will fall into the criteria. He, alongside Abhishek Sharma, has done wonders for the side in the past, and the selectors will consider this pair as the first-choice pick for the upcoming Asia Cup. Current Head Coach Gautam Gambhir likes Sanju Samson, as he has been given so many chances despite failures. He has also repaid the faith with 3 centuries and a half-century in 16 innings between July 2024 and February 2025.

Whenever he scores runs, he makes it effortless, and at the same time, he finds it tough to put the bat on the ball on an odd day. He has got a huge gift of timing and has a wide range of shots at his disposal. He was repeatedly tested with the short-ball tactics by England in the 5-match T20I series earlier this year, where he had no answers, making the scores of 26, 5, 3, 1, and 16. If the same issue persists, management needs to have a backup option, but his wicket-keeping abilities will help him to keep his place as India can’t afford to have an additional wicket-keeper in the starting eleven, as swashbuckling Rishabh Pant is currently nursing a foot injury.

3. Shubman Gill

Current India’s Test captain Shubman Gill is in the reckoning for a comeback into the T20I squad after being ignored from the format for more than one year. He last featured in a T20I against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in July 2024. His last 5 T20I innings saw the scores of 39, 34, 13, 58*, and 66; those numbers are pretty good, but the management needs aggression at the top and someone who needs to attack, which Gill lacks.

Related Article：Will Shubman Gill Play Asia Cup 2025? Comeback Likely, Start Unlikely

Shubman Gill had an outstanding IPL 2025, where he amassed 650 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 155.87. The selectors have taken note of these efforts, where his strike rate has seen a surge. His ability to anchor the innings will also be considered to get him back into the T20I setup. He will be in contention for India likely openers for Asia Cup 2025.

4. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The flamboyant top-order batter from Uttar Pradesh, who took shelter in Mumbai, rose to the highest level at a very young age. He has already established himself as the Test opener and is fighting to make the spot his own in the T20Is and ODIs. Considering the workload and other factors, he wasn’t considered for the T20Is for more than one year as he last represented the nation in the shortest format back in July 2024 against Sri Lanka. Jaiswal had a successful IPL 2025, finishing as the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals with a tally of 559 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 159.71.

His ability to play with aggressive intent in the powerplay and a stunning track record in the shortest format are enough to put him in the category of ‘India likely openers for Asia Cup 2025’.

Comparison of 4 Players’ T20I Stats

All four players mentioned have excellent skill sets, and now the pressure will be on selectors to pick the best opening pair for India for the Asia Cup 2025.

These four players have staggering records in the shortest format and are in the selection reckoning for India’s likely openers for Asia Cup 2025. With the surfaces in the UAE being conducive for both spin and pace, it’s better to pick the left-right combination as T20 is a fast-paced game, as bowlers will find it challenging to contain runs.

 

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Our Opinions

All 4 players don’t have the experience of playing in a marquee event, and the selectors have to go with the experience. At this point, it’s difficult to pick Shubman Gill as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have established themselves as the best opening pair for India over the last few months. Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a terrific record, will be considered as a backup option.