India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025: Five thrilling match-ups to be careful for in newest showdown

India and Pakistan are assembly in a T20 International after greater than 15 months and rather a lot has modified within the interim.

India below Suryakumar Yadav has develop into a crack unit having received 85% of its matches for the reason that retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the shortest format.

Pakistan alternatively have additionally proven a little bit of aggressive streak submit T20 World Cup within the USA the place the crew even misplaced to the host nation. Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan are now not a part of this set-up and the brand new look crew below Salman Ali Agha is not doing too badly both.

With few hours to go for the marquee conflict in Dubai, the PTI appears to be like at what might be probably the most attention-grabbing match-ups within the contest.

1. Shubman Gill vs Shaheen Shah Afridi:

This is the primary time that Indian vice-captain and Pakistan’s tempo spearhead will probably be squaring off in a T20 International. Shaheen has been a part of three video games in opposition to India (all in T20 WCs) and by the way Gill wasn’t part of these video games.

This will probably be a battle of equals. Shaheen is a nightmare when his nip-backer lands on excellent size early on with no seen footwork from a right-hand batter. Gill would definitely be cautious of that.

But if one appears to be like at Gill’s report in opposition to left-arm seamers throughout 15 T20Is through which he confronted them, it’s not dangerous both. He has confronted 92 deliveries in all and scored 157 runs in them at a strike-rate of over 170. He hit eight sixes and 20 boundaries and has been dismissed by them solely twice. But in opposition to Shaheen, it is going to be a special battle.

2. Jasprit Bumrah vs Saim Ayub:

Saim Ayub is rated very extremely in Pakistan cricket for his unconventional and fearless stroke-play, which features a ‘No Look Six’. It is a stroke the place he performs the pick-up pull behind sq. with out wanting on the supply whereas executing the shot.

He has performed that stroke too many instances within the PSL with some extent of success however in opposition to world’s greatest quick bowler throughout codecs, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see what sort of response time Saim has when it swings or strikes off the floor at 140 plus clicks.

3. Kuldeep Yadav vs Fakhar Zaman:

The craftiest bowler within the Indian T20 set-up in opposition to the mercurial Pakistani southpaw — this will probably be watched with most curiosity. How Fakhar negotiates Kuldeep’s googlies, the one which comes right into a left-hander will even point out how Pakistan are going to bat as a crew.

Fakhar’s T20 stats (home plus Internationals) point out that he would not typically play that style of bowlers. In his 254 batting innings throughout 301 T20 video games, Fakhar has confronted solely 15 deliveries from left-arm wrist spinners and managed 21 runs getting dismissed as soon as.

4. Abhishek Sharma vs Abrar Ahmed:

The toast of India’s T20 crew, the southpaw from Amritsar is likely one of the cleanest hitters within the sport and his report in opposition to right-arm wrist spinners (leg-spinner) can scare the daylights out of opposition captains.

In reality throughout all T20s (home and worldwide) in previous two years, he has confronted 51 deliveries from right-arm leggies and scored 151 runs runs at a strike-rate of almost 300. Hence, Abrar Ahmed must be used judiciously if Abhishek sticks round past Powerplay.

5. Hasan Nawaz vs Varun Chakravarthy:

Pakistan T20 crew’s newest pin-up boy has a wholesome strike-rate of 161 plus throughout T20s however he hasn’t precisely executed effectively in opposition to wrist spinners — whether or not proper arm or left-arm in hello brief profession.

In the not too long ago concluded tri-nation at Sharjah, which was a barely tougher observe to bat on in opposition to gradual bowlers, Hasan perished making an attempt to go on offensive in opposition to Rashid Khan in a single sport and Noor Ahmed in one other.

In one sport was holed out making an attempt to fetch a supply off Rashid from exterior the off-stump and in opposition to Noor, tried a paddle sweep to 1 pitched exterior leg-stump.

He is not good at studying from the hand and Varun Chakravarthy might show to be a handful along with his over-spin on deliveries which dip late and bounce extra.