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Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has revealed his T20 World XI in a recent podcast, sparking debate with some surprising omissions. While Babar has named a strong team, he has left out Indian legends Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah - as well as himself.

Only two Indians make the cut

Babar included just two Indian players: Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. Rohit, the highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals with 4,231 runs, has been picked as an opener alongside Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan.

Suryakumar Yadav, known for his explosive middle-order batting, was placed at number four. Notably, both players were key to India's triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024, after which Rohit announced his retirement from the format.

At number three, Babar selected Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman. England's Jos Buttler and South Africa's David Miller take the fifth and sixth spots, while South African all-rounder Marco Jansen is slotted at number seven. Afghanistan's Rashid Khan has been named as the specialist spinner, with the pace attack comprising Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc (both from Australia), and England's Mark Wood.

While Babar's XI boasts a balance of power and versatility, the exclusion of Kohli and Bumrah has surprised many, given their track record and recent performances.

Fresh tensions between India and Pakistan have cast doubt over Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in September 2025. Uncertainty now looms large over the tournament's future.

India is expected to host the Asia Cup 2025 in September, but the tournament't future remains uncertain. Given the ongoing tensions with Pakistan, there is a strong possibility that India may opt out of participating if Pakistan is part of the event.

This wouldn't be the first time politics impacted regional cricket. In 2023, the Asia Cup was jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka after India declined to travel to Pakistan. As a result, all of India's matches, including the clash against Pakistan, were played in Sri Lanka. India went on to lift the trophy in the final.

A similar approach was seen during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India again chose not to play in Pakistan and participated in matches held in Dubai instead. Notably, the Indian team has not toured Pakistan since 2008.