Asia Cup 2025: "An Orange cap holder can’t make the side" - Former spinner makes massive statement on India's squad after win vs Pakistan

Former India spinner Murali Kartik highlighted the outstanding depth in Indian cricket, noting that several talented players were unable to make it into the squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. His assessment came after the Men in Blue rolled over Pakistan in a Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 14. Suryakumar Yadav and Co. chased down a 128-run target in 15 overs with seven wickets in the bank.

Kartik mentioned the name of Sai Sudharsan, who won the Orange Cap in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) but failed to secure a spot in the Asia Cup squad. Apart from the Gujarat Titans' opener, Kartik also named the likes of Washington Sundar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who couldn't break into the squad.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also mentioned Abhishek Sharma's six off the first ball of India's innings against Pakistan. The Punjab batter hit the ground running, belting Shaheen Shah Afridi for a maximum to make his intentions clear.

“Just think of the kind of players who are missing out. Somebody like a Sai Sudharsan, an Orange cap holder, can’t make the side. Washington Sundar can’t make the side. Ruturaj Gaikwad can’t make the side. Arshdeep Singh can’t make the XI. These are the kind of players you are talking about," Karthik told Cricbuzz.

"Just the way they played yesterday. The first ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi there is not even a sighter, which Abhishek Sharma needs. He runs down the track. That is the kind of talent you are talking about. We talk about all the other sides, like Hong Kong or Oman, being slightly below par or not up to scratch when it comes to other sides. Yesterday, India looked possibly the best side on view. There was no comparison at all," he added.

Murali Kartik feels IPL is tougher than international cricket

Kartik opined that even the IPL teams which finish in the bottom half of the points table can defeat international sides. According to the former left-arm tweaker, the cash-rich league is tougher than international cricket.

"Just think of the number of sides, and this is no disrespect to any side. We talk about international cricket, which means these are countries playing, and you just take the quality of all the IPL sides 1-10. You think of 1, which finishes top in the final. Think of the 10th team, anybody, that is a year which could go wrong for any franchise, but think of the quality in the 10th-placed side that can actually beat most of the international sides," Kartik said.

"That is what we are talking about. So IPL is a tough gig. It is tougher than international cricket because sometimes you can get to play some teams which are not that tough, but they are still playing international cricket," he added.

India have already progressed to the Super-Four stage of the 2025 Asia Cup. They will be facing Oman in their final Group A fixture on Friday, September 19, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.