Asia Cup 2025: Gautam Gambhir Fires Up Team India With Powerful Message

Shivam Dube has revealed that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged his players to embrace new challenges in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which begins on September 9 in the UAE.

India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, hosts UAE, and Oman, with their campaign set to kick off against the UAE on September 10. Group B, meanwhile, features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.

“There is always one thing that the coach has always said to every player. Whenever you play for the country, you have the opportunity to do something new,” Dube said in a video posted by the BCCI.

The biggest talking point for India is the return of Shubman Gill to the T20I setup. The opener, who last featured in the format in July 2024, has been named vice-captain - replacing Axar Patel - signalling the management’s intent to fast-track him as a future all-format skipper.

The 25-year-old has been in sensational form across formats. In IPL 2025, he hammered 650 runs for the Gujarat Titans at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.88, taking the franchise to the playoffs. His red-ball credentials shone even brighter when he captained India for the first time in England, guiding them to a 2-2 draw while amassing 754 runs at a staggering average of 75.40.

“Very excited. I think it's a great group. The way we have been playing in T20s has been nothing short of entertaining cricket. Very happy to join the group,” Gill said.

Jasprit Bumrah, who hasn’t featured in T20Is since the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Bridgetown, is also part of the set-up. “It feels very good. I have joined the T20I team after a long time,” said Bumrah. 

“This three-week window was good, got some time home. Some young people and young energy are in this team. So exciting times ahead.”