Asia Cup 2025 Shock: Team India To Train With Red Ball During White-Ball Tournament! Here’s Why

The countdown for the Asia Cup 2025 has begun, with the tournament kicking off on September 9 in Dubai. Team India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will start their campaign on September 10 against UAE. The Men in Blue have already landed in Dubai to begin their preparations for the highly anticipated continental event.

However, in a surprising twist, reports suggest that India will also continue red-ball practice sessions during the Asia Cup, despite it being a white-ball tournament. This unusual move comes as part of India’s preparation for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2, immediately after the Asia Cup concludes.

According to a report by InsideSport, players like Shubman Gill—who are part of both the Asia Cup squad and the Test team—will be undergoing additional training with the red ball while competing in the Asia Cup. The management aims to ensure they remain in rhythm and are fully prepared to take on the Caribbean challenge in Ahmedabad and Delhi.

The scheduling makes things extremely tight for Team India. With the Asia Cup running from September 9 to 28, the team will only have four days to switch formats before the Test series begins. Hence, the BCCI and the management want to utilise the Asia Cup training sessions to also prepare players for the World Test Championship cycle fixtures against West Indies.

India are coming into the Asia Cup on the back of a thrilling 2-2 draw against England in the Test series earlier this year. Now, as they balance between formats, the squad’s adaptability and preparation will be key to achieving success in both tournaments.

This dual-focus strategy could turn out to be a masterstroke by the management or prove to be a risky gamble as players juggle between formats in quick succession. Fans will be watching closely to see if this approach gives India the upper hand.