New Delhi: With the Asia Cup 2025 set to begin on September 9, India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will undergo a crucial fitness assessment at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on August 11 and 12, according to a Times of India report. The 31-year-old, a key figure in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs earlier this year, has been training in Mumbai since mid-July and is expected to play a pivotal role in India’s campaign.
The report also mentioned that Shreyas Iyer successfully completed his fitness tests between July 27 and 29. Iyer, who guided Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final after leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title in 2024, has not featured in T20Is since December 2023. His inclusion in the Asia Cup squad remains a talking point.
Meanwhile, T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav will remain at the CoE for another week to regain full fitness under the supervision of the BCCI’s medical team. Suryakumar had a stellar IPL 2025 season, amassing 717 runs for Mumbai Indians and clinching the Most Valuable Player award, finishing as the second-highest run-getter behind Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan (759 runs). Since taking over the T20I captaincy from Rohit Sharma in 2024, Suryakumar has led India to victory in 17 of 22 matches.
In another key development, opener Shubman Gill is poised to be appointed India’s T20I vice-captain for the Asia Cup, as per RevSportz. Gill’s recent IPL form has been remarkable, scoring 890 runs at a strike rate of 157.80, 426 at 147.40, and 650 at 155.88 in the last three seasons for Gujarat Titans. His elevation to vice-captaincy would further strengthen India’s leadership group ahead of the high-profile continental tournament.
