Virender Sehwag Urges Gambhir, Suryakumar To Use Asia Cup For World Cup Prep

Virender Sehwag has urged India’s new T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir to treat the Asia Cup 2025 as a launchpad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Sehwag said the tournament is the “best opportunity” to test fresh talent and start shaping a strong squad. “In my opinion, there is no better chance for the Indian team to check its strength than the Asia Cup,” he told Sony Sports Network.

India head into the event with a new-look squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer missed out, while Jasprit Bumrah returned after a short rest. India will face UAE in their opening game on September 10 before the much-awaited clash against Pakistan on September 14.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar confirmed he has fully recovered from a sports hernia surgery. After scoring 717 runs in IPL 2025, he said rehab gave him the right mindset to return stronger.

“I saw it as an opportunity to come back as the best version of myself,” he said in a BCCI video.