The thrilling Asia Cup 2025 is less than a month away, and fans are awaiting the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan. The two arch-rivals, who
are pitted against each other in Group A, will meet on September 14 in Dubai. Notably, the two can face each other multiple times in the tournament, including the Super Four stage and the final on September 28.
This year’s Asia Cup, the 17th edition of the tournament, features eight teams, split into two groups of four. India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman make up Group A, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong feature in Group B. The event, initially slated to be hosted in India, was shifted to the UAE after a mutual agreement between the BCCI and PCB to play at neutral venues until 2027. Furthermore, the tournament will be played in a T20I format, in preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Before the 2025 Asia Cup, it’s crucial to assess the predicted XIs of both India and Pakistan and which team looks stronger on paper.
India's predicted XI
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
India will come to the Asia Cup with a balanced squad. The return of Shubman Gill as vice-captain and Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the attack will give the team both stability and firepower. At the top, Abhishek Sharma is expected to partner with Gill, providing a left-right combination and aggressive starts. Tilak Varma at No. 3 is set to be given the anchor role, while captain Suryakumar Yadav’s all-round play will form the core of the middle-order.
The lower-middle order consists of players like Hardik Pandya and Jitesh Sharma, with Axar Patel coming in as a handy all-rounder. India’s spin department looks strong with Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, both capable of troubling batters in UAE conditions. The pace attack, headed by Bumrah and supported by left-armer Arshdeep Singh, ensures India have wicket-taking options throughout the innings.
Pakistan's predicted XI
Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed
On the other hand, Pakistan will have a new squad under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership. Notably, senior stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been left out, as the management opted for a new and more aggressive batting unit.
Fakhar Zaman is expected to open and provide a solid start, while Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris will make the most of the powerplay. Sahibzada Farhan has been in excellent form recently, giving another attacking option at the top order. However, the middle order is an area of concern, with players like Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf yet to give consistent results. Captain Salman Agha himself has had only decent scores with the bat in the shortest format.
Pakistan’s strength, as always, has been its bowling attack. The pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali is expected to excel in UAE conditions. Spinner Abrar Ahmed gives Pakistan the ability to exploit spin-friendly surfaces. With the ball, Pakistan have the resources to trouble any batting line-up in the tournament.
Who looks stronger?
The India vs Pakistan clash will likely depend on how well Pakistan’s pacers perform against India’s star-studded batting line-up. The contest between Shaheen Afridi and Shubman Gill at the top will be something to watch out for, while Haris Rauf’s pace against Suryakumar Yadav could play a big role in the middle overs. On the other side, India’s spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, will target Pakistan’s weak middle order, where players like Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf have struggled against quality spin.
India’s advantage is in its all-round balance. With multiple match-winners in both batting and bowling, they have a better team to handle pressure situations. Pakistan, while consisting of a lethal pace attack, is heavily reliant on its top three batters to fire.
