The excitement of Asia Cup 2025 is at its peak in the UAE. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, Team India began its campaign in style, defeating UAE by 9 wickets in the opening clash.
Their next challenge is the much-anticipated blockbuster against Pakistan, scheduled for September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium.
India vs Pakistan and Wait That Never Ends
India’s dominant start has once again underlined why they are viewed as strong title contenders.
Pakistan, however, will be eager to halt their arch-rivals’ momentum. Yet, there’s an intriguing record that has stood firm in India-Pakistan T20 clashes – no batsman has ever scored a century.
Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82 in Melbourne (2022) and Rizwan’s 79* in Dubai (2021) remain the highest scores so far.
With both teams likely to progress to the Super Four, fans could witness this high-voltage battle not just once, but twice.
That means more opportunities for someone to finally end the century drought. India’s top-order stars like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and captain Suryakumar Yadav are prime candidates, while Pakistan’s aggressive opener Fakhar Zaman carries the promise for his side.
The question remains – will September 14 finally witness history?
Ind vs Pak – Predicted Playing XIs
India playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan playing XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.
Pakistan will once again look towards Mohammad Nawaz, who has been their standout performer in recent months.
The all-rounder was named Player of the Series in Pakistan’s last two T20I series victories, thanks to his consistent impact with the ball.
His ability to strike in the middle overs and control the run flow makes him one of Pakistan’s most valuable weapons going into the high-pressure Asia Cup clash.
