Suryakumar Yadav fit to captain India at Asia Cup 2025: Reports
India has been out of action in the shortest format for quite some time now. A jam-packed calendar featuring the ICC Champions Trophy, IPL 2025, and the five-match India vs England Test series shifted the spotlight away from T20Is. The break, however, offered ample time for India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, to undergo surgery and prepare for a return without missing any major assignments. Team India’s last appearance in T20Is came at home, when they hosted England for a white-ball series ahead of the Champions Trophy. Now, with the thrilling Test series in England concluded, attention turns to the Asia Cup 2025.
Suryakumar Yadav returns to training after surgery, targets Asia Cup 2025 return
The ACC unveiled the Asia Cup 2025 schedule earlier in July, reserving the September 9-28 window for the high-profile event. Positioned as the lead-up to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, this edition of the Asia Cup will be played in the shorter format. India has navigated a relentless itinerary across formats so far. The year began with the limited-overs series against England at home, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy, the IPL, and the Test series against England, which spanned nearly two months.
The squad will now enjoy a near month-long pause before resuming duties for the next phase of India cricket schedule. While ODIs and Tests dominated the calendar, with the Champions Trophy and the recently wrapped-up England series taking center stage, the T20I side took a backseat. That said, the lull in fixtures proved timely for Suryakumar Yadav, who used the window to recover from a sports hernia. The 34-year-old had travelled to Germany for surgery last month to address the issue. It marked his second operation for the condition, following a previous procedure in 2024.
Recently, Suryakumar Yadav had his first training session at the NCA in Bengaluru after making a successful recovery. The Indian skipper was initially set to return during the India vs Bangladesh series scheduled for August. However, with the home series now postponed to next year, SKY’s comeback has been deferred to September. The NCA continues to monitor his progress, with plans to gradually ramp up his workload and ensure a smooth transition back into competitive cricket for the Asia Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav likely to lead Team India in the Asia Cup 2025. 🏏
— OneTurf News (@oneturf_news) August 6, 2025
📸: ICC/X#oneturfnews #asiacup2025 #suryakumaryadav #teamindia #cricket pic.twitter.com/tjEKnGyqE4
Originally slated to be hosted in India, the Asia Cup 2025 will now take place in the UAE due to ongoing border tensions between India and Pakistan. India will kick off their campaign against UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium. The Men in Blue have been drawn into Group A alongside UAE, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. With both India and Pakistan placed in the same group, there’s a possibility of up to three high-stakes clashes between the arch-rivals.
The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan group stage match is scheduled for September 14. However, the groupings have stirred considerable debate. The diplomatic fallout from the earlier Pahalgam terror attack has further strained relations between the two nations. Recently, the WCL had to cancel the India vs Pakistan encounters at the veterans’ tournament after widespread public backlash. Following the cancellation of the opening fixture, India also withdrew from the WCL 2025 semi-final against Pakistan. Now, while the Asia Cup 2025 appears set to proceed as planned, it remains uncertain whether the marquee tournament can steer clear of similar disruptions in light of the ongoing India-Pakistan standoff.
