If Team India doesn't win Asia Cup 2025, there is something that's gone wrong: Abhishek Nayar

Former Indian team assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has stated that the Indian T20I team is not just a title contender, but they are entering the Asia Cup 2025 campaign as the T20 World Champions after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa last year.

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Speaking on Sony Sports Network, Nayar also asserted that if the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, doesn’t win the ongoing Asia Cup campaign, there is something that’s definitely going wrong within the team, adding that it’s India’s tournament to lose.

"I won't call them contenders, they are coming after becoming champions. The kind of squad they have and the way they are playing in this format, this tournament is for them to lose. If they don't win this tournament, there is something that's gone wrong," he said on Sony Sports Network.

"The squad strength we have and the way our spinners bowled in the last match, I will always believe that if you are bowling well, winning the championship becomes easy. So it's India's tournament to lose," he added.

Furthermore, Nayar also talked about India’s dominant nine-wicket over the hosts United Arab Emirates in their first Asia Cup 2025 game in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10. Moreover, he also stressed up on India’s decision to bowl first and little contest showed up by the UAE side.

"You were expecting India to win easily, but probably not this easily. There was a thought process about whether you could have bowled in tougher conditions, whether you could have batted first, just as an experiment, because you will be playing against Pakistan on the 14th," he stated.

"So, as a precursor, would you have wanted to understand the conditions? However, Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir had the thought process of playing to win and finishing the match as early as they could. So, a little too easy. A little challenge would have been good because I always believe preparation is only when it's hard," he concluded.

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