Asia Cup 2025: Sunil Gavaskar suggests India playing XI combination for Super 4s

Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has weighed in on Team India playing XI for the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, offering a strong recommendation regarding the management of premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Gavaskar believes that with India already securing qualification to the Super Four stage, the team should take a cautious and calculated approach when it comes to Bumrah’s workload. He suggested that Bumrah be rested not only for the upcoming dead-rubber match against Oman, but also for India’s first Super 4 fixture against arch-rivals Pakistan. According to Gavaskar, preserving Bumrah’s fitness and ensuring he remains fresh for the knockout stages — and more importantly, for the ICC T20 World Cup that follows — should be the team’s top priority.

Asia Cup 2025: Will Jasprit Bumrah be rested for the India vs Pakistan match?

The former captain stressed that Bumrah’s value in crunch games far outweighs the risk of playing him in a relatively inconsequential group game or the opening Super 4 clash, especially given his recent return from injury. Gavaskar also pointed out that India have enough depth in their bowling unit to manage without him temporarily. With high-stakes matches ahead, Gavaskar’s call to strategically rotate Bumrah aligns with the larger goal of peaking at the right time in the tournament.

India has already secured the top spot in Group A following dominant victories over both the UAE and Pakistan, making their final group-stage clash against Oman in Abu Dhabi a low-stakes affair. With qualification to the Super Four confirmed, this match presents a prime opportunity for the team management to rotate the squad, test bench strength, and rest key players ahead of more intense fixtures.

The Super 4 stage begins this weekend, with India’s much-anticipated rematch against Pakistan scheduled for September 21, 2025. Given the stakes and history between the two sides, it is expected to be one of the marquee clashes of the tournament. Amidst the strategic discussions around squad rotation, there is ongoing debate about whether India should rest Jasprit Bumrah. While some experts, including Sunil Gavaskar, have suggested benching him to preserve his fitness, others argue his presence is too valuable to miss even a dead rubber.

Bumrah remains India’s most potent wicket-taking option in T20 internationals, and his ability to deliver under pressure makes him a match-winner in high-stakes games. As India eyes the Asia Cup title and builds momentum toward the T20 World Cup, finding the balance between workload management and competitive intensity will be crucial. 

“This would give the batters some practice not just for the game against Pakistan, but also for the upcoming Super 4 matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It’s more about preparing the batters than the bowlers. I believe Jasprit Bumrah should be rested, perhaps even for the Pakistan game, so he’s available for the bigger match on Sunday, the 28th, which is against Sri Lanka. That’s what India should be looking at. Of course, there will still need to be one bench player included, but Bumrah should be left out for tomorrow’s game to give him rest," stated former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. 

Sunil Gavaskar suggested using the upcoming match against Oman as an opportunity to test India’s bench strength. He emphasized giving valuable batting time to middle-order players who haven’t had much game time in the tournament so far. With India already securing their spot in the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2025, Gavaskar believes this low-pressure game is perfect for experimenting with the lineup and allowing fringe players to gain experience.

“I would like to think that India would consider batting first and keep the same opening pair. Maybe number three, Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper, could drop himself down the order, giving Tilak Verma a chance for some time at the crease and allowing Sanju Samson a bit of a hit as well," Gavaskar added.

Predicted India Playing XI

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy