FIBA Men’s Asia Cup 2025: Can India Achieve a Historic Breakthrough?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
India Secure 27th Qualification to FIBA Men’s Asia Cup
They may have left it late, but India managed to secure their entry to the 2025 FIBA Men’s Asia Cup over the weekend, when they pulled off a sensational 81-77 victory over Bahrain at Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town on Sunday evening.
However, India’s qualification campaign was far from straightforward, as they were placed on the back foot early after suffering three consecutive defeats in their first three games, losing 63-50 to Kazakhstan, 86-53 against Iran and 69-53 versus Qatar in the first round of qualifying.
Their first victory in qualifying came in round two, 88-69 against the Kazakhs, but that was followed by back-to-back defeats to Iran and Qatar, which put the team under immense pressure heading into their final round against Iraq and Bahrain, where they were massive outsiders according to most basketball betting odds.
Ranked 81st according to FIBA Men’s rankings, India got the wind under their sails in the first of those matches, downing Iraq 97-77, but their best performance came on Sunday when they held off 66th-ranked Bahrain to earn their 27th entry to the main draw of the competition.
Among the standout performers for the team, Arvind Krishnan emerged as the hero in the victory over Bahrain, draining a clutch three-pointer late in the match to give his side breathing room. Harsh Dagar was on fire from beyond the arc and converted six of his eight attempts from long range, while Pranav Prince was a colossus on the defensive end.
Of the 16 teams that qualified for the tournament in Saudi Arabia later this year, 13 featured in the last edition, while Guam is the only side that will be making their FIBA Men’s Asia Cup debut. Notably, Australia and New Zealand also qualified from the Oceanian region, and both will be making their third appearance at the tournament this year.
While India have the third-most appearances of any team set to feature this year, they have never won the FIBA Men’s Asia Cup, with their best-ever finish being fourth place back in 1975. In more recent times, India’s most notable performance came in 2015, when they managed eighth place in China.
The main draw will take place on April 8 in Jeddah, and you can check out all our basketball predictions ahead of the first match of the tournament.
Heartbreak For India in FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2025
While the Indian men’s basketball team were securing their spot in the 2025 FIBA Men’s Asia Cup on Sunday, their 3x3 team was left to suffer heartbreak in Singapore on the same day when they were beaten in the quarter-final stage of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup by New Zealand 21-11.
Dagar, who also plays for the 3x3 national team, along with Arvind Muthu, gave Team India a solid start as they shot out to a 4-2 lead, but the Kiwis responded with eight unanswered points to go up 10-4, and they were not for the catching from then on despite their opponents’ best efforts.
Still, India have plenty to be proud of from their performance at the competition, having beaten the likes of Macau China, as well as higher-ranked opponents, the Republic of Korea, Philippines, and Chinese Taipei - indicating the progress they have made in the 3x3 space in recent years.
Unfortunately, India’s 3x3 women’s team were unable to progress beyond the qualifying rounds, having only managed a single victory over Guam, before conceding back-to-back defeats to Asian powerhouses Hong Kong China and Chinese Taipei.
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