"If they don't win this tournament, there is something that's gone wrong" - Abhishek Nayar on India ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 clash

Former India player Abhishek Nayar has opined that the Men in Blue are not just contenders but heavy favorites to win the Asia Cup 2025. He noted that things need to go wrong for the defending champions not to lift the trophy.

India beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by nine wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 opener in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10. They will face Pakistan in their second Group A game at the same venue on Sunday, September 14.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Nayar was asked about the strength of the Indian squad heading into their Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan.

"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 responded.

"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," the former India coach added.

The Indian spinners picked up six wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE. While Kuldeep Yadav registered figures of 4/7 in 2.1 overs, Varun Chakaravarthy (1/4 in two overs) and Axar Patel (1/13 in three overs) accounted for a dismissal apiece.

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"There was a thought process about whether you could have bowled in tougher conditions" - Abhishek Nayar on India's preparation ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 clash

India opted to bowl first after winning the toss against the UAE. [P/C: Getty]

Reflecting on India's win against the UAE, Abhishek Nayar wondered whether Suryakumar Yadav could have opted to bat first to test themselves in tougher conditions.

"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 said in the same discussion.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that India didn't challenge themselves enough ahead of their clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

"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," Nayar observed.

India bowled the UAE out for a paltry 57 in just 13.1 overs after asking them to set a target. They needed only 4.3 overs to achieve the target, with Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16) and Shubman Gill (20* off 9) stitching together a 48-run opening partnership in just 3.5 overs.