Bengaluru
India’s Test captain and T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill has reached the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for fitness assessment ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. Gill, recovering from a recent flu, had skipped the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal where he was named North Zone captain. He may travel directly from Bengaluru to Dubai, where the squad assembles on September 4 before their opener against hosts UAE on September 9.
Alongside Gill, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has also reported for pre-tournament preparations. Senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammad Siraj, and Shardul Thakur are expected to arrive shortly for mandatory pre-season fitness tests. Thakur, set to captain West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals, and standby players Jaiswal and Sundar will balance domestic duties with national commitments. Meanwhile, other Asia Cup-bound cricketers including Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav are already featuring in Duleep Trophy quarterfinals.
The South Zone team faces a leadership change after Tilak Varma’s inclusion in the Asia Cup squad. Vice-captain Mohammed Azharuddeen could be promoted, though experienced names like R. Sai Kishore, Devdutt Padikkal, or N. Jagadeesan are also in contention.
An injury concern has emerged for East Zone, as pacer Mukesh Kumar did not bowl in the second innings of their quarterfinal. He had earlier left the field for treatment on a thigh or groin issue, before briefly resuming his spell and batting in the first innings. His unavailability in the second innings has raised fitness worries ahead of important fixtures.
The fitness camp at Bengaluru will play a crucial role in ensuring India fields a fully fit squad in Dubai as they begin their Asia Cup campaign.
