The India versus Pakistan is supposedly the ‘big billed rivalry’, a ‘hotseller’, a primary ‘high cricketing selling point’, where it comes to ensuring high volume of ticket sales and the clash of two major
Asian or subcontinental cricketing rivalries. You can add more adjectives and jazz it up. But in the present context of the game, is the rivalry still anything of the likes it was in the past? We can call it anything we wish to describe it as but in reality, it is anything of that sort.
Why is that? What makes the present day rivalry between the two sides anything but that, that would sell like hot cakes? And most importantly, what may have led to the absolute dampness in the interest where it comes to following or watching the India vs Pakistan cricketing rivalry - with a brand new contest about to take place just hours later in the UAE-bound Asia Cup T20 tournament? Let us understand the three reasons why India vs Pakistan match doesn't have the same hype as it did in the past:
Reasons why India vs Pakistan match doesn't have the same hype like before
The big guns are missing in this contest
One of the big reasons as to why the India versus Pakistan match doesn't have the same hype as it did in the past is simply down to the fact that four prominent players in this particular series, two on either team’s side, are missing in action. Now, who are these names?
On the one hand, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the T20I format may certainly have dimmed the interest of the fans who definitely measure in countless numbers to see the greats take to the field, on the other hand, both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan haven’t been picked by Pakistan for the all important Asia Cup 2025 edition. This absence of two of Pakistan’s redoubtable best players, has somewhat dimmed the prospect of seeing Pakistan putting up a belter of a show or an attacking performance, which may have derailed fans’ interest in this particular series.
Add to that, India no longer contesting with two of its smashing stars of the format wherein Virat Kohli is the highest run scorer in the Asia Cup T20I contests, with 429 runs to his name in the games he played in the shortest format of Asia Cup.
He’s not there anymore in the format itself. Isn’t that a downer? Moreover, Babar Azam and Rizwan could certainly have produced powerhouse batting performance against India’s recognised and world class bowlers such as Bumrah and Kuldeep but that prospect isn’t there this time around.
India’s sheer dominance in white ball contests against Pakistan
This is no randomspeak.
Where it comes to Asia Cup contests, specifically speaking, then in the 19 games held between the two teams, widely known as “arch rivals”, India have beaten Pakistan on 10 occasions. On the other hand, Pakistan have been victorious only on 6 occasions. Therefore, there’s not much of a contest as seen in the series so far given the editions held as on date. Moreover, thrice the games between the two were abandoned owing to poor weather. This includes the group stage contest held in 2023. This, may have had something to do, towards dampening the excitement associated with India and Pakistan games.
The volatile and precarious dramatic ties between the two countries
India and Pakistan ties have stooped to new lows where it concerns the present and have been anything but stable or friendly in lines with the wretched, blasphemous and absolutely uncalled for terror attack waged by terror forces from the other side of the border on several innocents of India earlier this year. Killings dozens of innocents was horrendous and India bled unnecessarily suffering from the ruinous intent of terror forces connected directly to Pakistan.
Resultantly, the two countries were involved in a war-like scenario in which India sought to avenge the demise of its innocent and harmless. This prevailed for much of 2025, which meant that any civilian or diplomatic ties between the countries stood mostly cancelled. Where was the question of playing cricket with a neighbour that deliberately engages with terror. But despite of the knowledge of the uncalled-for events, both the cricket boards’ decision to still contend with a cricket match this time around came under immense criticism. And this criticism still stands valid. Hence, there is hardly any interest in the current fixture that will take place in Asia Cup 2025 edition.
FAQs
Which star cricketers are absent in the Asia Cup clash on either side featuring both teams?
While legends Virat and Rohit have both retired from T20Is, Pakistan didn't pick their prominent batting names - Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Who holds the edge in Asia Cup contests between India and Pakistan
India have beaten Pakistan 10 times and hence, hold the edge over their rivals in Asia Cup games.
