FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers preview: India takes on Iran and Qatar in final leg

The Indian men's basketball team is set for the final leg of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, with their last two matches scheduled for February 21 and February 24.

This will be India's first international assignment of the year, and it comes against two strong teams on their home turf—starting in Tehran against Iran before concluding in Doha against Qatar.

Eyes set for FIBA Asian Cup

India currently sits third in Group E, often referred to as the "Group of Death," with five points. The team still has a chance to secure a direct spot in the FIBA Asia Cup by finishing in the top two of their group.

However, to achieve this, India must win at least one of their remaining matches—a tough challenge, considering their only victory in the tournament so far was a historic win against Kazakhstan in November.

Group E is the only group in the competition where all four teams remain in contention for qualification, making every match even more crucial.

In the reverse fixtures, India suffered heavy defeats against both Iran and Qatar, and they will be eager to put in a better performance this time around.

Indian team Roster

For this final leg, India has made several changes to the squad, including the return of former captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, adding much-needed experience to the team.

However, all eyes will once again be on youngster Pranav Prince, India's standout performer in the second window and rising talent in the newly launched INBL professional league.

One of the most surprising omissions from the squad is Sahaij Sekhon, a regular in India's lineup and a key player throughout the qualifiers campaign so far.

Squad: Pratyanshu Tomar, Arvinder Singh, Pranav Prince, Amritpal Singh, Princepal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Kanwar Gurbaz Singh, Joginder Singh Saharan, P Baladhaneshwar, Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan, Muin Bek, Harsh Dagar

Schedule

21st Feb - India Vs Iran - 7:00 PM IST

24th Feb - India Vs Qatar - 8:30 PM IST

Live Streaming

All the matches of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers will be live-streamed on the FIBA Basketball YouTube channel.