3 reasons why India must pick both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy for IND vs UAE Asia Cup 2025 match

After a rare month-long break, Team India returns to action in their Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10. The Men in Blue have been on an incredible run in T20Is, winning their last five bilateral series and 17 out of 20 matches.

Before the ongoing red-hot streak, India ran through the table and won the 2024 T20 World Cup without a single loss in the West Indies and the USA. Yet, despite starting the Asia Cup as massive favorites, Suryakumar Yadav's side isn't devoid of a few positive headaches.

India's 15-member squad for the tournament offers them several playing XI combinations, and the team management will likely be in a conundrum to decide the final 11. Central to their discussions will be optimizing their bowling attack without compromising batting depth.

While India boasts four world-class bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav, each one's inability to strike big with the bat could result in a long tail. It will likely mean one of the four will be warming the benches in each game India plays in the Asia Cup.

However, Team India must play the spin-bowling duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy at all costs to kickstart their Asia Cup campaign. Here are three reasons why.

#1 India has the proof of concept to achieve the best of both worlds in the Asia Cup

India dominated the Champions Trophy earlier this year in similar conditions [Credit: Getty]

Team India needn't go back too far to find out the positive impact of including both Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in the XI. In the Champions Trophy 2025, albeit in the ODI format, the Men in Blue played their final three games with the spin-bowling duo in the side.

Furthermore, the tournament was played in the UAE, the venue for the ongoing Asia Cup. India won all three matches convincingly, with Kuldeep and Varun combining for 13 wickets between them.

In those three games, India also extended their batting until No. 8 by fielding only the lone specialist pacer, with Hardik Pandya playing as the second seam-bowling option. Thus, even by including both Varun and Kuldeep, India can still have batting up to No. 8 and play only one specialist pacer, given the likely spinner-friendly conditions in the UAE.

#2 Leaving one of Kuldeep or Varun could expose India's lack of firepower in the middle overs

As well-rounded as India's bowling attack appears on paper, excluding one of Varun Chakaravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav could drastically flip that narrative. Leaving either one means the Men in Blue are fielding only three specialist bowlers and the all-rounders, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel.

Given Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh's prowess with the new ball and at the death, India will want to use the duo exclusively upfront and at the back end.

As a result, the crucial middle overs could be predominantly bowled by one of Varun or Kuldeep, and the combination of Axar, Hardik, and Shivam Dube. While Axar and Hardik are creditable bowlers, they err more on restricting runs than taking wickets.

The lack of penetration in the middle overs could prove costly at a time when well-set batters could score anything in the death overs. India's ability to regularly strike in the middle overs was a key reason behind their success in the Champions Trophy, and the inclusion of Kuldeep and Varun would exponentially bolster their chances of repeating the same in the Asia Cup.

#3 Current form and the positive ripple effect in playing Varun and Kuldeep

Varun Chakaravarthy has been Suryakumar Yadav's go-to bowler at any stage in a T20I game [Credit: Getty]

It is hard to think of two better white-ball spinners than Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy in world cricket at the moment. The latter has been the best T20I bowler in the world since his return to the Indian side last year.

Varun boasts an incredible 31 wickets in his previous 12 T20Is at an average of 11.25 and an economy of 7.85. Meanwhile, Kuldeep was central to India's phenomenal unbeaten run in the 2024 T20 World Cup, finishing with 10 wickets in five games at an average of 13.90 and an economy of under seven.

While he has not played a T20I since, his white-ball form has remained excellent in ODIs and the IPL. Playing the duo in the same XI also enables India to spring surprises on their opponents, given Varun's ability to bowl at all stages in an innings.

With the luxury of having a constant wicket-taking threat in Kuldeep owning the middle overs, India can use Varun promptly at different stages to break crucial blossoming partnerships during the Asia Cup.