Asia Cup 2025: From Suryakumar Yadav To Virat Kohli- Most T20I Runs For India In UAE

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The stage is set for the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with India entering as defending champions. Under the leadership of captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill, the Men in Blue will chase a record-extending ninth Asia Cup title.

Over the years, several Indian batters have enjoyed remarkable success in the UAE's T20I conditions. Among them, KL Rahul leads the chart with 1,409 runs in 34 innings, making him the most prolific Indian in this region. But he failed to make the cut in this edition. Virat Kohli follows with 1,122 runs in 36 outings, showcasing his consistency on UAE pitches.

Current skipper Suryakumar Yadav has already piled up 915* runs in just 35 innings, while Shikhar Dhawan (910 in 30 innings) and Rohit Sharma (854 in 32 innings) complete the top five run-getters.

Most T20 runs by Indians in the UAE

1,409 - KL Rahul (34 Inns)

1,122 - Virat Kohli (36 Inns)

915 - Suryakumar Yadav (35 Inns)

910 - Shikhar Dhawan (30 Inns)

854 - Rohit Sharma (32 Inns)

India's dominance in the Asia Cup has been unmatched since the tournament's inception in 1984. With eight titles already in the bag-seven in ODIs and one in T20Is-India remain the most successful side in the competition's history. They will begin their title defense against hosts UAE on September 10 in Dubai, followed by the much-awaited clash against Pakistan on September 14 at the same venue. Their final Group A game will be against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.

The tournament's format remains straightforward. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, after which the two best teams will face off in the final on September 28 in Dubai.

As the batting unit gears up, spotlight will once again be on Shubman Gill, who was the leading run-scorer in the 2023 edition with 302 runs at a stellar average of 75.50. Alongside Gill and skipper Suryakumar, the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube add depth to India's batting line-up.

On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, supported by Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and others. With KL Rahul absent, India will miss one of their most reliable T20I batters in UAE conditions.