DUBAI – After India’s nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in their first game of the Asia Cup 2025, veteran cricketer Aakash Chopra has criticized the team’s playing XI. Chopra thinks the team administration, lead by coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, is making bad choices about who to pick. The win was quick and clear, with 57 runs in just 4.3 overs.
India’s bowling assault against the UAE had a lot of spin, with three spinners: Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Player of the Match Kuldeep Yadav. Jasprit Bumrah was the sole specialist fast bowler on the team, and Hardik Pandya was the second pace option. Chopra said he was worried about the long-term approach, even though this method worked on Wednesday.
Chopra told the team’s choice seemed to have a “Champions Trophy hangover,” which is a reference to the dry, dusty weather in Dubai during that competition in March. Chopra remarked, “It’s September, but they’ve used the same strategy, just in a different format.” He stressed that the squad needs to focus on drafting its finest players, no matter what strategies they used in the past.
Chopra notably pushed for the addition of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, drawing a striking analogy. He said, “For India in T20s, Arshdeep Singh has more wickets and better numbers than Jasprit Bumrah.”
Arshdeep’s numbers in the shortest format are very good, even though Jasprit Bumrah is a well-known pace bowler and an important member of the team. He has taken 99 wickets in just 63 T20I matches, making him India’s best bowler in the format. He is very close to being the first Indian bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark.
After the game, skipper Suryakumar Yadav defended the choice to bench Arshdeep, saying that the surface was slow and that an extra spinner was needed. Arshdeep, on the other hand, is said to be unhappy with the lack of chances, even though he sat on the bench for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the recent Test series in England.
As India moves on in the Asia Cup, the argument about the playing XI is sure to continue. Fans and experts will be keenly watching how Gambhir and Suryakumar combine their strategic decisions with the need to give every deserving player an opportunity to play on the world stage.