Asia Cup 2025: Who Could Emerge as Standout Batter for Team India in the Tournament?

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is, India’s Asia Cup 2025 campaign depends on the next generation of batters to step up, take responsibility, and fill the huge void left by the two legends in the team’s batting lineup.

India's Potential Standout Batters in Asia Cup 2025

Team India will begin their quest to defend the Asia Cup title when they take on the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Dubai International Stadium on September 10. The Men in Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, were clubbed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, the UAE, and Oman.

Since the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup is in T20 format, India will miss two batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as they both retired from the format at the international level following the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. Therefore, this will be the first major tournament for India without Rohit and Kohli.

As India gear up for the Asia Cup title defence, all eyes will be on young and emerging batters to fill the void left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Let’s take a look at who could emerge as India’s standout batter in the eight-team continental tournament.

Abhishek Sharma

With his selection to the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025, Abhishek Sharma has been confirmed to cement his place in the T20I setup for next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Abhishek has been one of the products of T20 cricket, with every shot in his arsenal executed with precision and unleashing his firepower at the top. His performance in the last two IPL seasons and in the T20I series against England has demonstrated his ability to dominate the bowlers.

If Abhishek Sharma maintains consistent performance throughout the tournament, the southpaw can emerge as the stand-out batter for Team India in the Asia Cup 2025. In his last T20I outing, Abhishek unleashed absolute carnage on England bowlers as he played a phenomenal knock of 135 off 54 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In his T20I career, Sharma has aggregated 535 runs, including 2 centuries and as many fifties, at an average of 33.43 in 16 matches.

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill made his return to the T20I setup as a vice-captain after being away from the format for a year to focus on red-ball cricket. He had a brilliant maiden Test series as a captain against England, leading India to a five-match series draw and amassing 754 runs, including four centuries, at an average of 74.5 in 10 innings, which showcased his maturity and leadership skills.

Gill's return to the T20Is is a big boost for India’s batting line-up, as he had a brilliant outing in the last three seasons of the Indian Premier League, and his recent performance in the recently concluded Test series. If he regains his T20 mojo, he will not only pose a serious threat to opposition bowlers but could also emerge as India’s best batter in the Asia Cup. In his T20I career, Shubman Gill has amassed 578 runs, including a century and 3 fifties, at an average of 30.42 in 21 matches.

Suryakumar Yadav

India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the team’s batting mainstays in the shortest format over the past few years. He has been one of the best batters in T20Is over the last three years, completing 1000 runs in a calendar year (2022) and topping the T20I batters’ rankings for three consecutive years in 2022, 2023, and 2024. However, after taking over the T20I captaincy, the 34-year-old has endured a lean patch, scoring just two fifties in the last 12 innings.

Suryakumar revived his T20 form in the IPL 2025, where he amassed 717 runs, including five fifties, at an average of 65.18 in 16 matches. Since the veteran batter has just recovered following sports hernia surgery and cleared his fitness, there will be concerns about his form heading into the Asia Cup. However, Suryakumar Yadav can pose a serious threat to the opposition’s bowlers once he gets into his groove and could also emerge as India’s standout batter in the tournament.

Tilak Varma

Promising batter Tilak Varma has made a rapid rise in the T20I setup since his debut outing for the Men in Blue against the West Indies in 2023. The 22-year-old had a breakthrough T20I series against South Africa, wherein he registered two consecutive international centuries at Centurion and Johannesburg in November last year, cementing his reputation as one of the promising talents in the shortest format for Team India.

Over the last few IPL seasons, Tilak Varma had a good campaign and was Hyderabad’s highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, with 327 runs, including a century and two fifties, at an average of 65.40 in seven matches. The southpaw can be an asset for India’s batting in the Asia Cup if he maintains consistency and continues to convert starts into big scores, even in pressure situations. Tilak Varma could also emerge as India’s standout batter in the tournament. In his T20I career. Varma has aggregated 749 runs, including 2 centuries and 3 fifties, at an average of 49.93 in 25 matches.

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has been picked for the India squad as the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Asia Cup 2025. The 30-year-old received a consistent run in the last three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England. Samson registered three T20I centuries last year, showcasing his ability to play match-winning innings. With the return of Shubman Gill to T20Is, Samson is likely to play in the middle order, despite playing as an opener in the last three series.

Samson is currently playing Kerala Cricket League (KCL) 2025, representing Kochi Blue Tigers, and has been in blistering form, scoring a century and a fifty in two back-to-back matches against Aries Kollam Sailors and Thrissur Titans. Interestingly, in both matches, Sanju Samson batted as an opener, making a strong case for the opening role in the batting line-up in the Asia Cup. In his T20I career, Samson has aggregated 861 runs, including 3 centuries and 2 fifties, at an average of 25.32 in 42 matches.