New Delhi: After a chaotic India vs Pakistan clash in the group stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, another high-octane Indo-Pak encounter will take place
in the Super 4 stage at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 21.
India decimated arch-rivals Pakistan in the first between them, recording a comfortable 7-wicket win in the group stage. India’s refusal to shake hands with the Men in Green post the game hogged the limelight, snowballing into a massive controversy. The handshake row also saw Pakistan threaten to pull out of their clash against UAE, before eventually agree to play.
The India-Pakistan game promises to be a thriller, as both teams now know each other’s strengths and weaknesses in the tournament so far. Will the spinners be in a dominating position against batters? The Dubai encounter will feature many key battles, but let’s take a look at some top battles to watch out for in the electrifying showdown.
Key battles to watch out for:
Shubman Gill vs Saim Ayub
Saim Ayub has been a surprise package for Pakistan in the bowling department, as he picked up three wickets against a strong Indian batting side in their first meeting. Among his three wickets, Ayub trapped Men in Blue’s vice captain, Shubman Gill, with a superb carrom ball.
Before his wicket, Gill took down Ayub for two impressive back-to-back boundaries, but the Pakistani all-rounder had the last laugh. Gill will be looking to take revenge against the part-time bowler.
Abhishek Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi
Pakistan’s premier pacer Shaheen Afridi has picked only three wickets in the tournament so far and has not been in his best form. Whereas Abhishek Sharma is playing his best aggressive cricket in the Asia Cup 2025, batting at a devastating strike rate of 225 in the tournament.
In the previous clash, Abhishek smashed a four on the first ball, followed by a six on the next ball against Afridi. The left-handed batter attacked the opponents’ best bowlers in the power play to set the tone for India.
Abhishek’s blazing start will be a key for India to put Pakistan under pressure again. From Pakistan’s point of view, their best bowler will aim to remove the opener as early as possible to give his team a good start in the high-stakes match.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Abrar Ahmed
Pakistan’s spinners have been in impressive form in the Asia Cup 2025, having picked up 13 wickets in three games with an outstanding average of 16.3. The economy of Men in Green’s spinners is also below run-a-ball (5.80). Their main spinner, Abrar Ahmed, will be playing a pivotal role in the middle overs for his side, and India’s skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, will be taking charge in the middle overs.
Suryakumar was the Man of the Match in the previous Indo-Pak clash. His record against leg spinners is impeccable, as he has scored 1137 runs against them with a strike rate of 146.14. In the 123 innings against leg spinners, the Indian skipper was dismissed 24 times in his T20I career.
Abrar is the most economical bowler on Pakistan’s side in this tournament. The spinner will be looking to trouble India’s strong middle order and try to restrict them to a low score.
