"He is an upgraded version of Yuvraj Singh" - R Ashwin's huge claim on Team India star ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked opener Abhishek Sharma as one of the batters to watch out for from the Indian side in the 2025 Asia Cup, calling him an upgraded version of Yuvraj Singh. The youngster has been in breathtaking form since debuting for India in T20Is last July.

The left-hander scored the second-fastest century by an Indian batter in T20Is off 37 deliveries against England earlier this year. Abhishek boasts impressive T20I numbers with an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 193.84 in 17 matches.

Talking about the destructive left-hander on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said (21:26):

"I am keen to see if Abhishek Sharma's all-out attacking approach works on these surfaces. But what a player, he is an upgraded version of Yuvraj Singh."

Ashwin also believes Shubman Gill could score a truckload of runs, given the pressure on him on his comeback into the Indian T20I side.

"There will be some pressure on Shubman Gill to score runs. So at a strike rate of 140-150, he has a great chance to finish as the tournament's highest run-getter," he said.

Gill has not played T20Is since the Sri Lankan tour last July but is coming off an impressive IPL 2025 season and Test series in England. Yet, he has sub-par T20I numbers with an average of under 31 and a strike rate of 139.27 in 21 matches.

R Ashwin picks players to watch out for from other Asia Cup 2025 teams

Ravichandran Ashwin picked a select few players from the teams competing against India in the 2025 Asia Cup that could be worth watching in the tournament. The former spinner named several Sri Lankan players: Dushmantha Chameera, Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, and Kamil Mishara.

Ashwin also picked three each from Afghanistan and Pakistan in Allah Ghazanfar, Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nawaz, Fakhar Zaman, and Salman Ali Agha as the players to watch out for. The legendary off-spinner concluded by making a left-field choice in opener Alishan Sharafu from the UAE.

The 2025 Asia Cup is just underway with Afghanistan playing Hong Kong in the tournament opener in Abu Dhabi today.

About the author

Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

Venkatesh ensures proper research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information, and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content.

He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran