Afro-Asia T20 Cup 2025 Confirmed Best Playing 11 for Asian Team
Suryakumar Yadav to lead in our strongest playing 11 for the Asian Team in the Afro-Asia Cup Cup to be played in the T20 format in 2025.
It’s been more than 17 years since the last Afro-Asia Cup was played in Cricket. But come 2025, we are hearing a strong possibility of two Continents facing each other in an Afro-Asia Cup, albeit in a different format. The last time these two teams played against each other, it was played in the ODI format in 2007. However, with the T20 format taking centre stage since then, the latest Afro-Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format.
Naturally, the next question that comes is which players are likely to feature in the Afro-Asia T20 Cup 2025. Well, there’s supreme talent in Asia with as many as five active countries in terms of seniority and regularity in the T20 format, viz., India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. We do have South East Asian teams like Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, PNG, Thailand, etc., but players from these teams are yet to reach the level of the five teams mentioned above.
The talks about an Afro-Asia Cup to be played in 2025 are still in development stage. But the news itself is so exciting that we actually thought of covering it from the playing 11 that can feature in the tournament. Ever since the 2008 Mumbai Attack incident took place, Indian players and Pakistan players never played together. While bilateral is still a distant dream, the BCCI and ACB can possibly mull over asking the Asian players to play together.
Afro-Asia Cup 2025 Strongest T20 Playing 11 Decoded
But the biggest question that the entire cricketing fraternity will be asking is whether India’s favourite retired duo, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play. Well, the Afro-Asia Cup in general comes under the International cricketing area. So, ideally, these two won’t feature in the tournament, unless of course special approval is taken just to play in this tournament. But for now, let’s assume these two won’t feature in the Afro-Asia Cup.
Without Rohit at the top, the best two openers currently from five teams (India, SL, Pak, Ban, and Afg) combined, and based on ICC rankings are Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mohammad Rizwan. Yashasvi Jaiswal has really taken the world by storm after his debut for the Indian team. He is also the second-best Indian as per T20I rankings, and deserves the position. Similarly, Rizwan has been consistent with his performances in the T20I format. He is also ranked sixth in the T20I rankings.
For the middle-order, look no other than Suryakumar Yadav, who will also lead the team in Rohit’s absence. With Babar Azam also in the team as a representative from Pakistan, expect Babar to bat at 3 and Suryakumar Yadav to bat at 4, just like he did in the T20 World Cup. These two can also swap places in case an aggressive option is needed at the top if Yashasvi gets out.
At number 5, we can look at a batter from either Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan. But honestly, there isn’t a strong middle-order player in this team better than Rishabh Pant at the moment. There’s Towhid Hridoy from Bangladesh and Charith Asalanka from Sri Lanka in the competition. However, Pant’s experience, and wicket-keeping skills make him a better bet than these two for the middle-order spot.
Hardik Pandya – The best All-rounder in T20I Currently
Now, moving on to the all-rounders, look no other than Hardik Pandya to lead the all-rounder duties. There’s no iota of a doubt that Hardik Pandya is the best all-rounder in the world currently when it comes to T20 format. He was also the main architect for Team India’s famous World Cup triumph in USA & West Indies. Hardik could well have also led this team, but SKY already leading the Indian team, so it makes more sense for SKY to continue as a leader.
Other than Hardik, we are looking at Shakib Al Hasan and Wanindu Hasaranga as the spin all-rounders in the side. Apart from Hardik, India have Axar Patel as the only good all-rounder in the side. Overall, there isn’t much to differentiate between Shakib, Hasaranga, and Axar. But selecting Axar means India will potentially have more than 5 players in the side, which will be an overkill. So, selecting Shakib and Hasaranga makes more sense.
Rashid and Bumrah Confirmed Starters
Finally, talking about bowling, two names that select for themselves are Jasprit Bumrah and Rashid Khan. These two are the world’s best pacer and spinner currently. Also, not just Asia XI, these two will feature as first-choice players in World XI too. With these two completing the 10 players including 2 pacers and 3 spinners, we are now left with one spot for a fast bowler. So, who are the potential options?
For the second primary pacer slot, we have options in the form of Arshdeep Singh, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Fazalhaq Farooqui, and Matheesha Pathirana. While an Indian player can be left out for this slot, among the options, Matheesha Pathirana seems the best one. If Hardik bowls in the powerplay, Pathirana can be a lethal middle-overs and death-overs bowler. Also, imagine a sight where Pathirana and Bumrah bowl together in tandem for the death overs.
Afro-Asia Cup 2025 Strongest Playing 11 for Asian Team:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Babar Azam
- Suryakumar Yadav (c)
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Shakib Al Hasan
- Hardik Pandya
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Rashid Khan
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Jasprit Bumrah
So, that’s about the strongest playing 11 for the Afro-Asia Cup 2025. Overall, the absence of Rohit and Virat could be a big dent in the viewership of the Cup, if at all it takes place. In case special permission is taken for these two just to play the Afro-Asian Cup 2025, we can expect Yashasvi and Pant to make way for these two in the strongest playing 11 mentioned above.
Thanks for reading! What’s your take on the Asian Team’s strongest playing 11 in the Afro-Asia Cup 2025? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com
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Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics with over 20 years of experience following Cricket.
Cricket to him is like what Football is to Lionel Messi, Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar, Dancing is to Michael Jackson, and Acting is to Clint Eastwood.
Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.
