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DUBAI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav played down talk of his side being favorites at the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, stressing that in the T20I format no team enjoys a clear edge.
“I don’t know who said India are the favorites,” SKY remarked with a smile during the captains’ press conference on Tuesday.
“In T20 cricket, the game can change in just one or two overs. Every team here has the ability to win, and we have to play well to stay in the hunt.”
India will enter the tournament having not played as a complete unit since the England series in January and February; however, their skipper dismissed any concerns.
“That’s not a big problem. Players have been active in leagues and other international cricket,” he said.
“As long as we are winning, it means we are on the right track. So far, everything has been good, and we are looking forward to a strong campaign.”
The 34-year-old also highlighted the advantage of flexibility in his squad.
“If batters can bowl, it helps the team. More bowling options make life easier for the captain,” he added.
While India downplayed the favorites tag, the UAE and Oman expressed excitement at the prospect of competing with Asia’s giants.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem credited his experience of playing alongside global stars in ILT20.
“It’s been a big learning curve for me. Playing with top players has helped a lot, and we’ve been preparing hard for the past month for this tournament,” Waseem said.
For Oman, this year’s Asia Cup is nothing short of historic.
“This is a proud moment for us. We are playing the Asia Cup for the first time, though we’ve already featured in three World Cups,” the Oman captain Jatinder Singh said.
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