With no success beyond opening, where does India fit Samson in batting order?
'If you consider Parag for captaincy, how do you expect Samson to stay?'
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has found himself in the spotlight for a brief moment of forgetfulness at the toss during their Asia Cup fixture against Oman in Dubai on Friday.
'Pretty amazing. The whole tournament, we remained unbeaten, it feels pretty amazing to be in this position.'
India Captain Suryakumar Yadav put sportsmanship on full display in the Asia Cup 2025 opener in Dubai on Wednesday
The tournament had been fraught with tension from the very start, and the animosity carried into the final, which India won by five wickets on a rather long Sunday night.
stroked 69 not out off 53 balls to steer India to a famous five-wicket victory in the title clash, dedicated his knock to "all the Indians".
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
'Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling (left arm spin) is handy.'
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
Asia Cup: Hardik Pandya goes past Chahal to become second-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is
Emotions often get the better of his side when facing arch-rivals India, a flaw former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif believes has cost them crucial matches in recent years.
With the much-anticipated Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan looming, India is sparing no effort in their training sessions, honing skills and strategising tactics.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
Tickets for the match on September 14 are in huge demand than for any other match. Most journalists are also arriving only in time for this match, even skipping India's opening match against the UAE on September 10.
However, Wassan also believed that Suryakumar made a political statement mentioning Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam during the post-match presentation and press conference following the group stage clash between the two teams, which could have been avoided.
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
His consistency comes at a crucial time, with stiff competition for a spot in India's Asia Cup XI following Shubman Gill's return as vice-captain, and the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma after a stellar IPL season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
'On the very day the soldiers were dying for our country, we were playing the World Cup in England against Pakistan. We were shaking their hands even then because the spirit of the game is a different spirit from what goes on between countries, between Armies and so on.'
Sanju Samson, one of Rajasthan Royals' longest-serving players, will remain at the helm for IPL 2026, dismissing speculation of an off-season exit.
Aus ODIs: Bumrah, Gill workload to be discussed, battle between Jaiswal and Abhishek
India defeated a spirited Oman in their final Group A match by 21 runs with Rana and Arshdeep giving away plenty of runs while taking a wicket each at the back end of the game.
While CSK had one of its worst seasons in 2025, Ashwin played just nine games, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.12.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
'It wouldn't have happened if Salman Agha was playing on the 14th and the game is in the balance.'
Bollywood flashbacked 20 years ago, when Parineeta released and its makers got together to celebrate the big event.
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
As India gears up to face Oman on Friday, September 19, at the Dubai international stadium, the focus returns to cricket.
Is this a subtle hint at a change of guard at Rajasthan Royals?
This final was filled with unusual happenings, and one that will stand out is India coach Gautam Gambhir seen smiling for a change!
Abhishek Sharma's brutal yet beautiful stroke-play was the highlight of India's optional net session on Tuesday
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
Hardik Pandya could become the first Indian and overall the third player in the history of T20 Internationals to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League on Wednesday, bringing curtains down on a 16-year-long association with the tournament within months of calling it quits from international cricket.
The report also indicated that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are unlikely to get a call-up to the T20I squad as the team management might not upset the team's core combination.
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
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