As the Asia Cup 2025 approaches, India’s key all-rounder Hardik Pandya has begun an important fitness assessment at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy(NCA) in Bengaluru. Scheduled for August 11 and 12, this evaluation is crucial in determining his readiness for the tournament starting September 9 in the UAE.
Pandya, 31, has been a vital member of India’s white-ball setup, playing significant roles in the recent T20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy victories earlier this year. After taking a short break following the IPL 2025 season, the Mumbai Indians captain resumed training in Mumbai from mid-July. The fitness tests at the NCA will include physical conditioning, strength assessments, and match readiness evaluations supervised by the BCCI’s medical and physiotherapy staff.
Alongside Pandya, middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer has already completed his fitness assessment between July 27 and 29. Iyer has been in good form domestically, having led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final and previously guiding KKR to their third title, though he has not played a T20 International since December 2023, selectors are keenly watching him for a return to the national side.
SKY to take more time to recover before the Asia Cup 2025
Meanwhile, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav remains in recovery mode after undergoing sports hernia surgery in June in Munich. He will continue with his rehabilitation at the NCA and is expected to spend at least another week under medical supervision before fully making to comeback.
The Asia Cup 2025, which has faced uncertainties over its future earlier due to political tensions, is now confirmed to take place from September 9 to 28 across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. India is placed in Group A along with rivals Pakistan and will kick off their campaign against the United Arab Emirates. The India-Pakistan clashes in the tournament are always highly anticipated and could occur up to three times depending on the teams’ progression and performance in the game.
