India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has lauded the energy and commitment of his teammates on the opening day of training ahead of the Asia Cup, saying their intensity and skill sets gave him confidence going into the tournament.
India will begin their campaign against hosts UAE on September 10, followed by the marquee clash with Pakistan on September 14 and against Oman on September 19. The playoffs will begin on September 20.
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy here on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
“To have such a brilliant bunch around with unbelievable skill sets, I always have a smile on my face when I see those boys on the ground,” Suryakumar, returning to action after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia, said in a video posted by BCCI on ‘X’.
𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙! ⚡️💪#TeamIndia raring to GO! 👏 👏
WATCH 🎥🔽 #AsiaCup2025https://t.co/9hKXSyrnK0
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 6, 2025
“Because the way they put their body on the line, that’s what I want from them. And they just enjoy on the ground.” Vice-captain Shubman Gill, who recently captained India to a 2-2 draw in the England Test series, echoed his skipper’s sentiment.
“Very excited obviously. I think it’s a great group. And the way we have been playing in the T20s is nothing short of entertaining and terrific cricket. So, very excited to join the group,” said Gill.
The 25-year-old from Punjab attracted plenty of attention during fitness drills and net sessions, with Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma also having extended batting stints on day one of their training on Friday.
This is the first time the team has assembled together since the 2-2 Test series draw in England. Several players, including Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav, had a month’s rest before rejoining the squad.
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Among the senior players, Bumrah was also upbeat after returning to the T20I squad since the 2024 World Cup final in Bridgetown.
“It feels really good to join the T20 group after a long time. This three-week window was really good, got some time at home,” said the pace spearhead, who last played three Tests at the England series,” he said.
“Young energy, young people in our team, so yeah, looking forward to it, exciting times ahead.” All-rounder Hardik Pandya, sporting a new blonde hairdo, said he had used the break to focus on family time.
“This time I really took some time out for my son, spent a lot of time with him. At the same time, I thought I will start my sports training earlier, this feels like a good bunch of people around and exciting talent,” he said.
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Left-arm pacer Arshdeep said the team environment remained vibrant from the outset.
“It is a lively environment. Laughter and banter going around and it’s day one so we will get into it. By the time we play the first match we will have full intensity,” he said.
Shivam Dube revealed the motivational words of head coach Gautam Gambhir that set the tone in training.
“There is always one thing which the coach has said to every player – whenever you play for your country, you get an opportunity to do something new. Usme achcha utilise kiya hai, training kiya hai, better cricketer banne ka try kiya,” Dube said.
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India have won the Asia Cup a record eight times. They are the designated hosts of the tournament, being staged across UAE venues.
Group A comprises India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman, while Group B features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
