The stage is set in Dubai for a high-stakes rematch: India vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Fours later today, September 21, 2025. Just a week ago, India delivered a statement, demolishing Pakistan by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare at the same venue.
The Men in Blue’s spin attack, led by Kuldeep Yadav, strangled Pakistan’s batting, who limped to 127/9 after losing early wickets. Then, in response, a composed chase anchored by Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, backed by a rapid start from Abhishek Sharma, sealed the dominance.
The teams are set to face each other yet again, and here are three key battles that fans should watch out for:
IND vs PAK Asia Cup Super Fours: 3 Key Battles
1) Abhishek Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi
Abhishek Sharma played his first senior game against Pakistan in their Asia Cup group stage match. It was expected of him to feel a bit of pressure, given the stature of this fixture, but on the very first ball, Abhishek stepped out and hit Shaheen Afridi for a four.
He would hit the PAK bowler for a few more boundaries, and so their upcoming encounter in the Super Fours match becomes a key battle to watch out for.
2) Shubman Gill vs Saim Ayub
Saim Ayub is yet to open his account with the bat for Pakistan, but interestingly, has been impressive for his side as a spinner. In fact, he got all three wickets against India in the previous encounter, including the vice captain, Shubman Gill.
Spin appears to trouble Gill a bit. He also struggled against Oman’s Ahmed Shakeel in that match’s opening over.
So, it will be interesting to see whether Saim Ayub gets the better of Shubman Gill once again or not.
3) Hardik Pandya vs Shaheen Afridi
At a time when Pakistan’s main batsmen are struggling, it is their main bowler, Shaheen Afridi, who has produced magic with the bat. He scored 33 off 16 against India, and 29 off 14 against UAE.
India’s Hardik Pandya, particularly, went for a couple of sixes against Afridi. It would be worth watching if the two face off again in the death overs tonight.
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