Asia Cup 2025 / Team India will play without these two players, this tournament has happened twice in T20

Asia Cup 2025: Preparations for the Asia Cup 2025 are in full swing. The announcement of teams will begin next week, and this time the tournament will be played in T20 format. This is an exciting time for cricket fans, as this time young players will dominate the field. However, there is also a big change for Indian cricket fans - for the first time in the T20 Asia Cup, India will play without two of its legendary stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

History and format of T20 Asia Cup

The Asia Cup has been organized for a long time, but this tournament has been played in T20 format only twice so far - in 2016 and 2022. It is a fixed rule that the Asia Cup is also held in the same format as the World Cup. Since the T20 World Cup is going to be held in 2026, the 2025 Asia Cup will also be in T20 format. This will be the third time that the Asia Cup will be played in the exciting style of T20.

Kohli's record: Most runs in T20 Asia Cup

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been the pillars of the Indian team in the last two T20 Asia Cups (2016 and 2022). Virat Kohli's performance, in particular, has been unmatched in this format. Kohli holds the record for scoring the most runs in the T20 Asia Cup, and his figures are so impressive that no other batsman even stands close to him. Kohli's batting, his consistency and ability to score runs in big matches made him the star of this tournament.

Kohli and Rohit's absence: A new era

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 International cricket after making India champions in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Now both these legends are seen playing only in T20 leagues like IPL. As a result, the 2025 T20 Asia Cup will be the first time that the Indian team will take the field without these two stars. This certainly marks a big change for Indian cricket.

Golden opportunity for young players

The absence of Kohli and Rohit is a challenge for the Indian team, but it is also a golden opportunity for young players. Young stars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh are ready to show their talent in this tournament. Apart from this, Arshdeep Singh and other young fast bowlers as well as spinners will also get a chance to prove their ability in bowling. This tournament is not only an opportunity to give India another Asia Cup title, but it will also be a platform for young players to cement their place in the Indian team.

Challenges and expectations

India has always performed brilliantly in the Asia Cup, but this time the absence of experienced players like Kohli and Rohit may be felt. Nevertheless, the deep talent pool of Indian cricket and the enthusiasm of young players are capable of making up for this lack. Other Asian teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh will also make strong claims, which is expected to make the tournament even more exciting.