NEW DELHI: Former India opener Virender Sehwag has expressed confidence in the Suryakumar Yadav-led defending champions, calling them the strongest side in this year's eight-team Asia Cup. The tournament, which will be played in the T20 format, also serves as crucial preparation ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
"We are world champions. We just won the World Cup, T20 World Cup and I am sure that we are the best team in the Asia Cup and hopefully we will win the Asia Cup," Sehwag told the official broadcaster, Sony Sports Network.
"I think we have a very good side and SKY is leading from the front and he's a top player in the T20 format. I'm sure that under his captaincy, we will do well because we've seen in the past when SKY has taken over, we won a lot of T20 games and I'm sure that we will win the Asia Cup also," he added.
Sehwag sees the upcoming Asia Cup as a vital platform for India to prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup. He believes the tournament offers a chance to assess emerging players, experiment with combinations, and identify who deserves a spot in the World Cup squad.
"I think in the T20 format, this Asia Cup can serve as a great preparation for our 2026 T20 World Cup. It's an opportunity to see which new players should be given chances and who can be included in the squad. You can start building a team for the World Cup. In my opinion, there is no better opportunity for the Indian team to check its strength than the Asia Cup," Sehwag said.
Sehwag came to the defence of the Indian selectors, standing by the squad chosen for the Asia Cup.
"I think we have a very good T20 selector. I think we have a very good T20 side. Under Suryakumar Yadav, we've done well in T20 matches and I am sure that he'll get the best team that the selectors will give him, and hopefully we will win the Asia Cup this time."
