As India prepare to announce its squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE from September 9 to 28, former cricketer Priyank Panchal has shared his thoughts on team selection.
India's last T20I appearance was in February 2025, where they secured a 4-1 victory against England in a home series. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma have been regular features in the top order during recent T20I series.
The batting lineup could see interesting changes with strong IPL 2025 performances from Test captain Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will make their decisions this month.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"I think we obsess too much over batting positions in T20s for the sake of endless discussions and analysis. Just pick the best openers, best finishers, and the rest can float around as per the situation," wrote Panchal in his 'Ask Me Anything' session on 'X' on Sunday.
India's Group A schedule includes matches against UAE and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 10 and 14, respectively. They will face Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
The tournament features eight teams divided into two groups. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
The manner that Asia Cup will be played in T20I format, considering teams' preparation for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.
The tournament structure allows two teams from each group to advance to the Super Fours stage. The top two teams will then compete in the final in Dubai on September 28.
India currently hold the Asia Cup title after defeating Sri Lanka in the 2023 final in Colombo, which was played in the 50-over format.
The previous T20I version of the Asia Cup was won by Sri Lanka when they defeated Pakistan in the 2022 final.
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