India Vs Pakistan Preview, Asia Cup 2025: IND Heavy Favourites For PAK Clash Devoid Of Hype

The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 cricket match on September 14, 2025, sees a spoilt-for-choice Indian squad, formidable by a country mile, enter as clear favourites. This encounter, usually steeped in intense narrative, notably lacks its customary fervour. Persistent border tensions between the nations have risen, yet the Sunday fixture at the Dubai International Stadium has struggled to generate traditional excitement.

India, boasting players like Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah, face a Pakistan team under new captain Salman Ali Agha. Despite the abundant context, including a T20 World Cup in India in four months, this significant cricketing rivalry unfolds with markedly diminished fanfare.

Political Realities Mute Cricket Enthusiasm

The usual high-pitched narrative surrounding India vs Pakistan cricket matches has dissolved. The political pitfalls of persistent tensions, exacerbated by a recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 tourists, have contributed to a muted build-up. Military operations and public anger following this incident further deepened the chill.

Thousands of match tickets remain available, and few fans attended India's practice session on Friday. The festive excitement commonly associated with this fixture is strikingly absent. Social media calls for a boycott from India have found resonance, leaving organisers uncertain how many BCCI officials – who usually make a beeline for such marquee events – will attend on Sunday.

The Government of India permits the national team's matches against Pakistan at multi-nation tournaments but strictly prohibits bilateral series. The travelling media have aimed to spice things up, but representatives from both nations have avoided any probing queries that even remotely touch on political matters, reflecting the delicate situation.

The pre-match period has not been without incident: a widely circulated moment at a press conference featured India’s Suryakumar Yadav refusing a handshake with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, an episode interpreted by some as emblematic of the current frosty relations.

Pakistan's new team philosophy has also tried to distance itself from relying on batters like Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, featuring talents such as opener Saim Ayub and middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz.

India Vs Pakistan: Spinner Showdown

Traditionally, India-Pakistan cricket matches pit Indian batters against Pakistani pacers. However, this fixture promises a significant role for spinners from both teams, with Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the sole specialist pacers featuring. Although the Dubai pitch does not offer substantial turn, the presence of one right-arm and one left-arm wrist-spinner on each side makes for a fascinating sub-plot.

Pakistan's Sufiyan Muqeem is a capable bowler but is nowhere near as crafty as Kuldeep Yadav, whose unplayable googly bowls batters from the hand. Abrar Ahmed's leg-breaks and quirky celebrations have garnered him many fans across Pakistan.

Conversely, India’s Varun Chakaravarthy, with his mystery spin, could challenge Pakistani batters, proving particularly difficult for young players such as Saim Ayub and Shahibzad Farhan, who struggle to read spinners from their hands. While left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz ranks 30th in ICC rankings, his coach Mike Hesson considers him at his peak; yet, he isn't a patch on Axar Patel, India's most valuable yet low-profile player.

India’s Batting Faces Pakistan’s Pace Challenge

India's robust batting line-up makes Pakistan anxious. Players like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube can dismantle any bowling attack on their day. These batters have the ability to take the pitch out of the equation at any given point.

Critically, Faheem Ashraf does not compare to Hardik Pandya in match-winning all-round ability. If India are wary of any particular bowler in the Pakistan line-up, it must be Shaheen Afridi, who holds fond memories of this ground in 2021.

He dismissed KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli then, setting up a nice T20 World Cup group league win for Pakistan. However, post-knee surgery, Shaheen hasn't been half the bowler he was; his late swing and off-the-pitch movement have gone missing.

India's strategy will involve figuring out the ideal batting line-up. Sanju Samson's slot will be vital, as will be Dube's, who has the assigned task of taking down the spinners in the middle overs.

The diminished noise may persist, but the stakes remain high. When India and Pakistan take the field, hype or no hype, the world stops to watch.

India Vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025: Squads

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

(With PTI Inputs)