'Pakistan captain can win smaller tournament like Asia Cup': Suryakumar Yadav warned of 'banana peel'

Speaking to TimesofIndia.com ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener, astrologer Greenstone Lobo offered an intriguing perspective on the tournament’s likely outcome.

While India are widely seen as the overwhelming favourites, Lobo explained why predicting winners of smaller tournaments can be more complex than forecasting World Cups.

“When we talk about winning tournaments, predicting a major tournament like a World Cup is actually easier. But it becomes a little more difficult to predict which team will win an IPL or a T20 World Cup. And it’s even more difficult to predict a smaller tournament like an Asia Cup,” Lobo said.

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According to him, the difference lies in horoscopes. Captains with the strongest charts usually succeed in the biggest competitions, while those with “slightly lesser horoscopes” can still triumph in smaller tournaments. “That is where it gets tricky and interesting,” he noted.

Turning to the present edition, Lobo highlighted Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership as a major positive.

“He’s got a phenomenal chart. Pluto is in nascent exaltation, Neptune is very powerful. Planet Z is in its own house. That’s a very strong indication he’s going to do well,” he said, calling the Suryakumar–Gautam Gambhir combination “an extremely powerful team and a big proposition for winning the T20 World Cup.”

Yet, Lobo warned that this strength could ironically make the Asia Cup a “banana peel".



He pointed to Pakistan’s new T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, born in 1993, as a serious contender: “He has got a phenomenal chart. If it comes between Surya and Salman, Sky has a higher chance to win the T20 World Cup, which means Salman can win a smaller tournament like the Asia Cup.”

He also mentioned Sri Lanka, under Charith Asalanka, and Afghanistan, led by Rashid Khan, as potential surprises.

“India, yes, we are the firm favourites, even astrologically,” Lobo concluded, “but we are not the only favourites. Pakistan, Afghanistan, even Sri Lanka—they all have strong chances.”

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