(Image source from: REUTERS)
The Asia Cup 2025 is coming up, and it has been reported that top all-rounder Hardik Pandya will have a fitness check at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The 31-year-old has played a vital role in India's triumphs at the T20 World Cup 2025 and the Champions Trophy this year. The talented all-rounder has been working out in Mumbai since mid-July, and the team is relying on him to secure victory in the Asia Cup, which starts on September 9.
A report mentions that Pandya will participate in the fitness evaluation in Bengaluru on August 11 and 12. The same report indicated that Shreyas Iyer had finished his fitness evaluation from July 27 to 29. Iyer recently guided Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 finals, just one year after he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third championship. However, he hasn't played T20 internationals since December 2023. It will be intriguing to see if he is included in the upcoming continental event.
In other news, captain Suryakumar Yadav will stay at the COE for another week to fully recover under the careful supervision of the physiotherapists and medical team. He had a remarkable IPL 2025 season, scoring 717 runs for the Mumbai Indians and winning the Most Valuable Player award. Suryakumar was the season’s second-highest run-scorer, just behind Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans, who scored 759 runs. After Rohit Sharma stepped down from T20Is following India's victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar took on the role of full-time T20I captain. Since then, India has won 17 out of 22 matches with him as captain. After a strong start to his leadership journey, he is now positioned to play a significant part in the T20I team. As reported by RevSportz, Gill is expected to be appointed as India’s T20I vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Gill's recent performances in the IPL with the Gujarat Titans have been outstanding—scoring 890 runs at a strike rate of 157.80, 426 at 147.40, and 650 at 155.88 over the last three seasons.
