It was a very surprising decision from the selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when they appointed the Test captain of the Blue Brigade as their new vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which starts on September 09 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across two venues- Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Many reckoned that Axar Patel should have been the new vice-captain of the side after getting the leadership during the previous home T20I series against England. However, most of them forgot that Hardik Pandya was the leader of the side when Rohit Sharma, the former leader, used to take breaks. The former Indian all-rounder, Suresh Raina, has expressed his wish to see the Baroda player as the new Indian leader.

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“Gill is anyway ahead of Shreyas Iyer (for captaincy), but in white-ball cricket, I think Hardik Pandya will do a lot of good as a captain. He has the experience of Kapil Dev with performances in the batting, bowling, and fielding departments. He is a very positive guy. He is also the captain and gives me a glimpse of Mahi bhai. The way he conducts the team is something I like a lot.” Raina expressed during a podcast video with Shubhankar Mishra.

Suresh Raina wants Hardik Pandya to lead India in T20 World Cup 2026

The 31-year-old pace all-rounder has overall smashed 1812 runs in 90 innings at an average of 27.87 and a strike rate of 141.67, besides picking up 94 wickets at an average of 26.43 and a strike rate of 19.3 and an economy rate of just over eight with the best bowling figure of 4/16 in an inning.

Statements by Suresh Raina:
- Gill over Iyer any day
- Hardik will do miracles as captain
- He has Kapil dev level experience
- He is a player's Captain
- He gives me glimpses of MS Dhoni

Anyways Hardik is always there as a leader,Target Asia cup and T20wc ❤️ pic.twitter.com/c28RZtTQvz

— Nenu (@Nenu_yedavani) August 30, 2025

Hardik was one of the biggest reasons for India winning the T20 World Cup. His inclusion brought balance in the playing eleven as he gave the option of batting at number six and also contributed with four overs in the middle.

During the 2025 season of the IPL, the veteran smashed 224 runs at an average of 24.88 and a strike rate of 163.50, with the best score of unbeaten 48 runs, besides bagging 14 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 24.42. He will look to hold the same rhythm during the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

Cricket has long ago gone past its sporting confines and is now a cultural and digital phenomenon (especially on social media). According to HypeAuditor's latest rankings, three Indian sports stars are among the three most influential cricketers on Instagram - Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma. Each has a legion of followers, engagement, and global reach as cricketing icons, and subsequently normalizes conversations regarding topics that have nothing to do with the game.

Virat Kohli - The World's Leader

What else can be said about Kohli? Firstly, he is not only one of the greatest batters of his generation, but he is also a true global sporting brand. Virat Kohli has over 270+ million followers, and manages to stay relevant to an audience that goes well beyond his cricket brand. Kohli's posts - whether the subject is fitness, family, collaboration with a brand, or just about anything – generate enormous engagement. However, the real asset to Kohli's is the most considerable follower account - he connects probably the best with his fans. It represents the true value of an athlete's standing in the Instagram follower lists, as nothing is more valuable than engaging fans with authentic storytelling usage. Kohli wears the 'crown' - he is the king of cricketers on Instagram.

ALSO SEE:Duleep Trophy 2025: Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana strikes, Indian pacers on song ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Hardik Pandya – The Style Icon

Second place goes to India's flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Pandya is known for his resilient style of play and equal daring personality off the field. He has built a reputation as a youth icon by exhibiting on his Instagram lifestyle, which encompasses everything from stylish attire and family moments to clips of his journey on the cricket field. With millions of young followers hanging onto his every post, Pandya has become both an entertainer and influencer.

Rohit Sharma – The People’s Captain

Rounding out the top three is India's captain Rohit Sharma. Sharma, nicknamed "Hitman" due to his batting feats, has built a strong digital following for himself. He cleverly uses his Instagram to provide a mixed bag of updates from his personal life to his batting highlights while giving fans an insight into what type of person and leader he is, beyond the boundary. It is his relatability and calm character, both on and off the field, that draw an audience and strengthen his influence in the digital domain.

Together, Kohli, Pandya, and Rohit demonstrate how one can integrate cricket and social media in today's world. Away from the runs and milestones, they are creating culture, style, and brand narrative through their influence worldwide. Their growth in popularity and as Instagram influencers speaks volumes about Indian cricket's unprecedented appeal and influence to connect fans from any corner of the world.

Hardik Pandya finished the things off in style. In the final over of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022, the India all-rounder hoisted the delivery of Mohammad Nawaz over the long-on region for a maximum, which sealed the close-fought game for India. 

It was the first game of the T20 Asia Cup 2022 when India faced their archrivalPakistan on a challenging Dubai pitch. Pakistan went to bat first with their openers Mohammad Rizwan and then the skipper Babar Azam. Though Azam went to the pavilion early in the match, Rizwan was the most stubborn batter for the Pakistan cricket team. He remained on the track and scored 43 off 42, the highest score in the match for the Men in Green.

It was not the usual T20 format match where batters performed with a high strike rate; both of the teams batted with extra caution. After Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed was the second-highest scorer for Pakistan with 28 off 22. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar wrapped up his 4-over spell with 4 wickets, while Hardik Pandya got 3 scalps to his name, and Arshdeep Singh got a brace.

Read More: WATCH: Pacer Harshit Rana trying spin bowling ahead of Asia Cup 2026

Hardik Pandya was the hero for India 

India too fell into trouble when they started to chase a target of 148. Rohit Sharma, then the skipper of team India, and KL Rahul both lost their wickets cheaply. Virat Kohli (35) and Ravindra Jadeja (35) started to propel the innings in the right direction, though they were unable to convert their well-crafted start into a big innings. Surya Kumar Yadav scored 18 off 18. 

It was Hardik Pandya, who remained on the track till the end and confirmed India's victory with a huge six. After taking 3 wickets, Pandya played a match-winning knock of 33*, for which he got the man of the match award. 

Everyone was shocked during the 15-member squad selection of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is expected to begin on September 09 at the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the entire competition taking place across the two venues- the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and in Abu Dhabi.

The shock came not only at the omission of Shreyas Iyer, but also at the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as their new vice-captain. Many questioned that Axar Patel should have been made the vice-captain for the event after he was in the position during the five-match home T20I series against England earlier this year.

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But what about Hardik Pandya, who was the leader of the side when Rohit Sharma used to take breaks? The all-rounder was seen as the natural successor in the T20Is post the retirement of the Nagpur-born. He had the CV of an IPL title with the Gujarat Titans, 833 runs as the leader for the two seasons, and 10 wins in 16 T20Is as the captain.

Explained: How Hardik Pandya lost his T20I captaincy for India

Moreover, Hardik was just a ball away from leading the franchise to their second successive title of the IPL. The future looked set. But the turning point came in 2023, when a major injury kept him out of the World Cup at home. There was more added drama about the leadership of the Mumbai Indians.

“We would want a captain who stays on the park.” The statement from the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, pointed to a huge shift in the entire development. That sentence framed the Gujarat-born as always injured and available for the national side. In reality, though, he has been out of the longest format due to his body and the workload management, and looks to focus only on the two white-ball formats.

When Gautam Gambhir became the Indian head coach, the selectors made Suryakumar Yadav the new captain. Axar became the vice-captain. Now, with the BCCI’s aim to make Shubman Gill the all-format player and the new vice-captain, Hardik’s future in this department looks dim. The question stands if the politics has seen the end of Hardik Pandya as India’s T20I leader.

Hardik Pandya has been a superb power hitter in the lower order of the Indian cricket team and for the Mumbai Indians in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Coming into number five or six, the right-handed batter has always contributed with the big shots to provide the teams a chance to finish on a high in the innings.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah is a premier pacer of India and world cricket across formats. The right-arm pacer has the skill of foxing such batters with his smart bowling, thunder yorkers, and change of pace. Bumrah also carries the ability of picking wickets with the new ball inside the powerplay.

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A viral has gone viral in the social media where it has come most probably from the net session of the IPL 2025 for the Mumbai Indians between Pandya and Bumrah. The first of the three-ball set to the all-rounder from the bowler was a length ball outside the off-stump to which Hardik swung his willow for a six.

Watch: Hardik Pandya faces Jasprit Bumrah in MI nets during IPL 2025 as video goes viral 

The second ball of the set from the Ahmedabad-born was a low full toss into the legs as the right-handed batter timed it perfectly into the ropes for a boundary. Bumrah perhaps aimed to get the yorker but mistimed it to a low full toss. But as he does, Bumrah hardly missed any yorker. The third ball was on the root of the stumps as Pandya had no clue apart from seeing his stumps getting rattled.

 

 

 

 

 

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During the IPL, both these players have face each other, when Pandya was appointed the captain of the Gujarat Titans for two seasons of the league when he left the Mumbai side in 2022 and 2023. During those two editions, Bumrah bowled six balls at Pandya, who was able to get just three runs in reply without getting dismissed.

Both players have been selected in the 15-member squad for India for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the United Arab Emirates. They will look to bring their best performance with bat and ball respectively to defend their title from the last edition which they won in 2023 for the 50-over format.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup season. The tournament will begin on September 9, with the Blue Brigade participating in the event against the United Arab Emirates on the following day. The most-anticipated clash will be against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. 

Suryakumar Yadav, after completing the fitness assessment, has returned to lead the side along with the premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the fifth and final Test of the away England trip during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 due to workload management, has also returned to the squad.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Surya Kumar 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

Let’s take a look at the three players who can be X-factor for India in Upcoming Asia Cup 2025

1. Suryakumar Yadav

In any event, the responsibility over any captain remains immense. That will be the same story with the Indian leader, Suryakumar Yadav. He didn’t enjoy their last T20I series against England at home with the bat, having managed just 28 runs in five innings at an average of under six and a strike rate of 116.66, thanks to the best score of 14.

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However, his overall record in T20Is paints a different picture. The right-handed batter has clubbed 2598 runs in 79 innings at an average of 38.20 and a strike rate of 167.07, with the help of four centuries and 21 half-centuries at the best score of 117 runs.

During the recent 2025 season of the IPL, the 34-year-old drilled 717 runs for the Mumbai Indians in 16 innings at an average of 65.18. His strike rate of 167.91 was fabulous, scoring five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 73 runs.

2. Hardik Pandya

The balance of the Indian side heavily leans on their premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, in the white-ball events. During the home England series earlier this year, he smashed 133 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 131.68 with the best score of 73* besides picking up five wickets at an economy rate of under nine.

The Baroda all-rounder has drilled overall 1812 runs in 90 T20I innings at an average of under 28 and a strike rate of 141.67, with five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 71 runs. With the ball, he has picked up 94 wickets in 102 innings at an economy rate of 8.20.

During the 2025 season of the IPL, the veteran has smacked 224 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 163.50. The right-arm pacer also picked up 14 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 24.42 and an economy rate of under 10 for the Mumbai Indians.

3. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravathy finished the home T20I series against England as the leading wicket-taker. The Tamil Nadu spinner was the leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps in five innings at an average of under 10 and an economy rate of 7.66. His four overs will be crucial, especially in the middle overs.

Chakravarthy continued the same rhythm during the 2025 season of the IPL. Out of his 100 wickets of the league, the right-arm spinner has bagged 17 scalps in the 2025 edition in 13 innings at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of under eight.

Varun has the skills to pick wickets at any stage of the game, including the powerplay and death. His partnership with the ball, along with Kuldeep Yadav, will be essential for India to go for their title defense.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee met on August 19 to announce the 15-member squad for the 2025 season of the Asia Cup, which will take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the squad for their title-defense as they will also have their premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya.

Abhishek Sharma, the number one T20I batter, is also part of the squad, having earned success at the opening position with partner, Sanju Samson. They opened for the Blue Brigade in the last 12 T20Is against England, South Africa, and Bangladesh. At Wankhede, he clubbed a fine knock of 135 runs in 54 balls against the Jos Buttler-led side.

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Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility of vice-captaincy of the side, as Jasprit Bumrah returns for the event after the end of the Test series. Harshit rana has also made the squad, after he contrbuted decently during the home T20I series against England earlier this year. 

India announce 15-member Asia Cup 2025 squad under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership

Kuldeep Yadav missed the last T20I series for the national side at home against England due to finger. He returns to the squad to partner with the mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, who topped the bowling chart in those five games with the help of 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.67. He also continued the same excellent performance in UAE for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Pandya, undoubtedly, will bring balance to the eleven thanks to his incredible experience of the shortest format. In 114 T20Is, the Baroda all-rounder has smashed 1812 runs at an average of under 28 and a strike rate of 141.67 with five fifties besides recording 94 wickets at an economy rate of 8.20.

India will start their Asia Cup campaign on August 10 against United Arab Emirates in Dubai before they lock horns with Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The final of the event will take place in Dubai on September 28.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Surya Kumar 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- Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhurv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Riyan Parag

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is preparing for the Asia Cup 2025, as the pace-bowling all-rounder is set to prove his readiness for the upcoming tournament by undergoing the regular fitness test.

According to media reports, the 31-year-old Hardik Pandya is at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to undergo the regular fitness test. The fitness test will reportedly run between August 11 and 12. He is ready for the Asia Cup 2025. After the IPL 2025, Hardik had a short break before returning to training. The Times of India report suggests that Hardik has been working on his fitness in Mumbai since mid-July, as he is very serious about his fitness. 

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Hardik Pandya is a key all-rounder for India

Hardik is a crucial name in the Indian white-ball teams, as the all-rounder had an important role for the Men in Blues to win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Apart from 11 Tests, he has played 94 ODIs and 114 T20Is, where the right-handed middle-order batter has scored 1904 and 1812 runs, respectively, and the right-arm medium fast has also taken 91 and 94 wickets, respectively. He is India's third leading T20I wicket-taker. 

India are favourites for Asia Cup 2025

Asia Cup 2025 will run in the T20I format, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host between September 9 and 28. It will be the first time that more than six teams will participate in an Asia Cup tournament, as eight teams will participate in the competition, including all five Test-playing nations. In Group A, India will face Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B teams are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. 

The record eight-time Asia Cup champions (including one T20 Asia Cup title), India, are once again the favourites for the tournament, while it will also be a crucial event for them before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will host between February and March 2026. 

The middle-order batter of the Indian side, Shreyas Iyer, underwent a fitness assessment and completed the Test between July 27 and 28. The leader of the Punjab Kings from the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), who led the franchise to the final and ended as the runners-up of the tournament a year after becoming champions with the Kolkata Knight Riders, has yet to play T20Is since December 2023. 

It would be interesting to see if the selectors show any interest in the right-handed batter, who has overall smashed 1104 runs in 47 innings at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12, thanks to eight half-centuries at the best score of 50. However, he looked in good shape during the last IPL. 

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In the previous edition of the IPL, the Mumbai-born collected 604 runs in 17 innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, scoring six fifties at the best score of unbeaten 97 runs. He also crossed the 350-run mark during the 2024 and 2022 seasons. However, there is still no guarantee of his position in the eleven.

Shreyas Iyer complete fitness assessment in NCA ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Apart from Iyer, it has been reported that the T20I captain of the Blue Brigade, Suryakumar Yadav, is anticipated to spend another few days at the National Cricket Academy to get full fitness under the eyes of the physio and the medical team. A couple of days ago, he shared the video on Instagram to disclose his return to batting practice.

Sky looks to work on his workload towards full fitness. He has an impressive record for the national side as the T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America. Under him, they have won 17 of the 22 T20I fixtures.

Apart from them, the premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, has also gone through fitness Tests. India will take part in the Asia Cup 2025, which will be held from September 09 to 28 in the UAE, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi hosting the matches.

The Asia Cup 2025 is just around four weeks away from its beginning. The new edition of the event will be held in the shortest format, keeping an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. 

The competition is scheduled to begin on September 09, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the squad of the Blue Brigade for the continental event in the next few days.

Let’s take a look at the probable 15-member Asia Cup 2025 squad for India

Yashasvi Jaiswal expected to be back in India’s top order

There should not be any doubt about the selectors picking Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the two opening batters. The latter has struggled recently during the last home T20I series against England. At this position, the defending champions are expected to bring Yashasvi Jaiswal into the squad.

The Mumbai batter, who has smashed 723 runs in 22 T20I innings at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31 with five fifties and one century, will also bring experience into the squad. Tilak Verma has a decent time in the shortest format, while there is no doubt about the captain, Suryakumar Yadav’s skills with the bat.

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Rinku Singh could be another batter whom the national side may use in the middle order, along with Shivam Dube, who could also offer a couple of overs with the ball. Rinku nailed 546 runs in 24 T20I innings at an average of 42 and a strike rate of over 160 with three fifties at the best score of unbeaten 69 runs.

There are chances of Shreyas Iyer getting back into the T20I squad after missing out of the team for a few months. The right-handed batter had a fabulous period for the Punjab Kings during the IPL 2025 while leading the side and batting in the middle order. There are chances of him coming into the T20I side, but it is very unlikely for him to get a spot in the playing eleven.

Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel could be India’s top all-rounders

Hardik Pandya has always been the most vital member of the Indian side in the shortest format. He is the glue of the side to balance the strength. In 90 innings, the right-handed batter has smacked 1812 runs at a strike rate of 141.67, besides picking up 94 wickets at an economy rate of just over eight.

Axar Patel is another such member of the side. The southpaw has carried the ability to go after the bowlers towards the end overs, besides bowling tight overs. Jitesh Sharma could be the spare wicket-keeper in the side after reports claimed that Rishabh Pant would be ruled out of the tournament with a broken foot injury.

India could look to back experienced bowling unit

There are serious questions about Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the series. The Ahmedabad-born didn’t take part during the fifth and final Test of the five-match series against England at the Kennington Oval in South London. The right-arm pacer has collected 89 wickets in 69 T20I innings at an economy rate of just over six.

Mohammed Siraj may replace him in the 15-member squad in case there are issues with fitness. Kuldeep Yadav should be back in the T20I squad. The left-arm wrist spinner, who didn’t play a single game in the five-match Test series in England, has collected 69 wickets in 39 innings at an average of 14.07 and an economy rate of under seven.

Varun Chakravarthy, on the other hand, has become a different bowler since his comeback into the national side. The Tamil Nadu spinner has picked 33 T20I wickets in 18 innings at an average of under 15 and an economy rate of just over seven, with the best bowling figure of 5/17 in an innings.

Arshdeep Singh will be the other pacer of the side. The left-arm pacer has bagged 99 T20I scalps in 63 innings at an average of 18.30 and an economy rate of just over eight.

The Blue Brigade will start their campaign of the Asia Cup against the United Arab Emirates on September 10 before meeting Pakistan four days later at the Dubai International Stadium. There are doubts about the game potentially getting cancelled after the recent relationship between the two countries. The last group-stage clash will be on September 19 against Oman in Abu Dhabi.

India’s probable squad for Asia Cup 2025

Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Tilak Verma. Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav.