Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has backed the Men in Blue as strong favorites to win the Asia Cup 2025. Nayar stated that India performed well in their opening match against the UAE and added that a tougher challenge could have better prepared them before the match against Pakistan.
India secured a nine-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on September 10. While India was the strong favorite, the UAE offered little resistance before the inevitable surrender. The Men in Blue will next face Pakistan in their second Group A match at the same venue on Sunday, September 14.
This Tournament Is for Them to Lose – Abhishek Nayar
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Abhishek Nayar described India as more than just contenders. He stated that if India doesn’t win the tournament, there is something that’s gone wrong.
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“I won’t call them contenders; they are coming after becoming champions. The kind of squad they have and the way they are playing in this format, this tournament is for them to lose. If they don’t win this tournament, there is something that’s gone wrong,” he responded.
Squad Strength We Have And the Way Our Spinners Bowled – Abhishek Nayar
Gautam Gambhir’s former teammate stated that the Indian spinners’ performance in the previous match makes them heavy favorites. He emphasized that when the team bowls well, winning the championship becomes much easier.
“The squad strength we have and the way our spinners bowled in the last match, I will always believe that if you are bowling well, winning the championship becomes easy. So it’s India’s tournament to lose,” the former India coach added.
The Indian spinners delivered an outstanding performance in the opening match. They restricted the home team to a total of just 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 4 wickets for only 7 runs in 2.1 overs, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel also took one wicket each.
India chased down the target in just 4.3 overs. Abhishek Sharma scored 30 runs off 16 balls, while Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20 runs. They added a 48-run opening partnership in only 3.5 overs. The Men in Blue are at the top of the Group A table with two points and a net run rate of +10.483.
Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir Had the Thought… – Abhishek Nayar
The former cricketer stated that India would have been better prepared if their opening match against the UAE had been more challenging. Nayar said that Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir focused on finishing the game quickly rather than testing the team.
“So, as a precursor, would you have wanted to understand the conditions? However, Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir had the thought process of playing to win and finishing the match as early as they could. So, a little too easy. A little challenge would have been good because I always believe preparation is only when it’s hard,” Nayar observed.
Team India aimed to strengthen their batting depth by including only three specialist bowlers. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube were picked as all-rounders. Shivam Dube made a significant impact with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 4 runs in two overs.
Also read: India vs Pakistan match blocked at the last minute in Asia Cup turbulence
