During the toss ahead of the Oman clash in Asia Cup 2025 match, India captain Suryakumar humorously forgot the playing XI changes, jokingly comparing himself to Rohit Sharma, in a moment that drew attention as India geared up for the Super 4 stage.
Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav took a hilarious dig at Rohit Sharma as he forgot the changes in the playing XI for the final group stage match against Oman at the Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 19. India and Oman are facing off for the first time in international cricket.
The Men in Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, have already qualified for the Super 4 after two successive wins against the hosts, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, and the match against Oman serves as a dead rubber, giving the team a chance to experiment with combinations and give players some rest. India will likely use the opportunity to test bench players and give key stars some time off ahead of the Super 4 stage.
India are currently at the top of the Group A points table with two wins and has earned four points from two matches played so far. The Men in Blue will look to end their group stage on a high note before moving on to the Super 4 stage of the tournament.
‘I have become like Rohit’
Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bat first against Oman. India’s skipper wanted to understand the depth of their batting line-up by batting first and was satisfied with the pitch condition, which would be assessed by the openers.
When Ravi Shastri asked about the combination for the Oman clash, Suryakumar Yadav said two changes in the playing XI. Though India T20I skipper remembered Harshit Rana, he forgot the other change, leading him to jokingly admit he had become like Rohit Sharma. Despite Shastri helping him with a name, Suryakumar still could not recall the second change.
“We have two changes – Harshit comes in, one more guy comes in, I have become like Rohit (laughs).” Suryakumar Yadav said at the toss.
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Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is and Tests, is often known for his absent-minded moments and occasional forgetfulness, which has become a running joke among teammates and commentators.
Meanwhile, the second change in the playing XI is Arshdeep Rana coming for Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested for the Super 4 stage clash against Pakistan, which will take place on September 21.
How did Team India perform in the Asia Cup 2025?
The Men in Blue were clubbed in Group A alongside the hosts, UAE, Pakistan, and Oman. Suryakumar Yadav–led side had a brilliant start to their quest for the Asia Cup title as they tormented the UAE by 9 wickets. Indian bowling attack, led by Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube, bundled out the hosts for 57, the second-lowest total in the tournament history.
With a 58-run target, Abhishek Sharma played a brilliant innings of 30 off 16 balls, while Shubman Gill scored a quickfire, unbeaten knock of 20 off 9 balls at a strike rate of 222.77. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav remained unbeaten on 7 off 2 balls, including a first-ball six.
In their clash against Pakistan, which was marred by controversy over a handshake snub, Team India clinched the victory by seven wickets. Kuldeep Yadav-led bowling attack restricted the arch-rivals to 127/9, despite Shaheen Afridi’s last blitz.
With a 128-run target, Skipper Suryakumar Yadav played an unbeaten captain’s knock of 47 off 37 balls, while Abhishek Sharma (31) and Tilak Varma (31) contributed significantly to India’s run chase. With two wins on the trot, India had already secured their place in the Super 4 stage, allowing them to experiment with combinations and give some key players rest ahead of the high-stakes matches.