India captain Suryakumar Yadav brought some laughter to the Asia Cup 2025 when he cheekily compared himself to former skipper Rohit Sharma after forgetting one of India’s team changes ahead of their clash against Oman in Abu Dhabi. Winning the toss and opting to bat first for the first time in the tournament, Suryakumar confidently announced one change but hilariously blanked out on the second.
He confirmed that pacer Harshit Rana was making his first appearance of the competition, but when presenter Ravi Shastri pressed him to reveal the other replacement, the Indian skipper fumbled on live TV. With a mischievous smile, Shastri even teased if the “mystery inclusion” was none other than bowling coach Morne Morkel, drawing laughter from those around.
Eventually, Suryakumar admitted with a grin, “We have two changes — Harshit comes in, and one more guy comes in. The second guy, well, I can’t remember it. I’ve become like Rohit.”
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The comment was a nod to Rohit Sharma’s famously absentminded nature, which has long been an inside joke in the Indian dressing room. From misplacing his passport to leaving behind gadgets in hotel rooms, Rohit’s forgetful streak is well-known among teammates, and Suryakumar’s slip only added to the light-hearted narrative.
The “forgotten man” turned out to be Arshdeep Singh, who was brought back into the XI alongside Harshit as India chose to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy. Arshdeep’s return was particularly significant as he remains one of India’s most reliable T20I bowlers and had been surprisingly sidelined in the first two group matches, where India opted for a spin-heavy lineup.
Toss goes India’s way, and we’ll bat first 🤩
The stage is set for fireworks in Abu Dhabi 🎇
Watch #INDvOMAN LIVE now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 [Asia Cup] pic.twitter.com/k2IEMvpo6Z
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 19, 2025
With their Super Four spot already secured after wins against the UAE and Pakistan, India used the Oman fixture to rotate players and test their bench strength. This was a sharp contrast to recent global tournaments like the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025, where the team rarely tinkered with its XI due to high stakes.
By choosing to bat first against Oman, India also gave their batting unit valuable time in the middle, something they had been denied while chasing in their earlier victories. With depth extending to No. 8 through Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, the team continues to look balanced heading into the next stage.
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India now shifts focus to the marquee Super Four clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, where Suryakumar will hope his memory—and his team’s form—remain sharp.
India (Playing XI) – Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Oman (Playing XI) – Jatinder Singh (C), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (WK), Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem (In place of Wasim Ali), Aryan Bisht, Zikriya Islam (In place of Hassnain Shah), Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, and Jiten Ramanandi.
