India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025: Spinners key, and no big noise

After hammering hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their opening game of Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, in-form India will start as favourites when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage clash in Group A in the desert city on Sunday (September 14).

Led by ace batter Suryakumar Yadav, the Men in Blue squad is spoilt for choice, and that would be satisfying for the team management, especially with the next T20 World Cup due at home in a few months.

Unusual by India-Pakistan rivalry standards, the Super Sunday clash is strangely devoid of any hype despite border and political tensions between the two neighbours that have become high in the past few months.

Also read: Asia Cup: Kuldeep shines as India demolish UAE, win in just 4.3 overs

On the ground, Pakistan would have their task cut out with the Indian side featuring a battery of explosive cricketers, be it in the form of batters such as Suryakumar, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy or all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

The Indians, who have not lost a match against the arch-rivals since September 2022, look way more menacing on paper compared to the Green Shirts, who are trying to find their feet under new skipper Salman Ali Agha. Pakistan also thumped Oman in their opening game at the same venue, but their batting would remain a reason to worry against a formidable Indian bowling line-up.

Also read: Asia Cup: Pakistan ease to 93-run victory over Oman

Yet, given the T20 format’s fickle nature, Pakistan would fancy their chances against the heavy opponents. While they lack the experienced duo of Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, who have been dropped for the Asia Cup, the side would bank on some new names.

One of the most talented batters in Pakistan's line-up, opener Saim Ayub, middle-order willow-wielder Hasan Nawaz and the troika of spinners in Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeen and Mohammed Nawaz would love to prove a point in a new look team that dumped the philosophy of depending heavily on Azam and Rizwan, both of whom featured in Pakistan’s recent engagements with India.

Battle of spinners

Normally, an Indo-Pak match has been about Indian batters locking horns with Pakistani pacers, but this time around, the spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play, considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action on D-Day.

Also read: Asia Cup 2025: Cold response to India-Pakistan match, and there is a reason

Although the pitch isn't offering a significant turn, the presence of one right-arm wrist spinner and one left-arm wrist spinner each on both sides makes for a fascinating sub-plot.

Pakistan’s Muqeem is a good bowler but nowhere close to a much craftier Kuldeep, whose googly has been unplayable from the hand.

Ahmed's leg-breaks and quirky celebrations have gained him a lot of fans across Pakistan, but Chakravarthy, with an element of mystery attached to his art form, can mess with the minds of Pakistani batters.

Also read: Asia Cup: Afghanistan thrash Hong Kong by 94 runs in opener

He could especially be tough for young guns like Saim Ayub, Shahibzad Farhan, who aren't reading spinners from their hands.

Last but not least, Mohammed Nawaz, the left-arm spinner, ranked 30th in actual ICC rankings but at the zenith according to his coach Mike Hesson, isn’t a patch on spinner-all-rounder Axar Patel, who is the most valuable yet low-profile player in the Indian line-up and perfectly compensates for the legendary Ravindra Jadeja.

Batting a worry for Pakistan

More than bowling, it is the batting line-up of India that will make Pakistan anxious. While Gill, Abhishek, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Hardik, and Shivam Dube can butcher any bowling attack on their day, Pakistan’s batting lacks the firepower, and their total of 160 in 20 overs against the low-placed Oman is an affirmation.

Also read: Asia Cup 2025: Schedule, venues, squads, format, live TV and streaming

When it comes to all-rounders, Faheem Ashraf is not comparable to Hardik in terms of match-winning ability.

If India are wary of any one particular bowler in the Pakistan line-up, then it has to be left-arm pacer Shaheen, who has fond memories at this ground in 2021. He had dismissed KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and some overs later Virat Kohli to set up a nice T20 World Cup group league win for his country.

But post-knee surgery, Shaheen hasn't been half the force he was, and the late swing and off-the-pitch movement have gone missing.

The key for India will be to figure out the ideal batting line-up. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s slot will be vital, and so will be that of Dube, whose assigned task will be to take down the spinners in the middle overs.

Familiar hype missing

However, the familiar noise in the run-up to the game is missing. With thousands of tickets still available and very few fans turning up at the India practice on Friday (September 12), the festive excitement surrounding the match is missing.

Also read: India vs Pakistan Asia Cup: Boycott calls from Opposition, Pahalgam victims’ kin

The social media calls for a boycott by India have found resonance to an extent, and as a result, no one knows how many BCCI officials, who otherwise make a beeline during marquee events, will turn up on Sunday.

The Government of India has allowed the national team's matches against its bitter rivals at multi-nation tournaments, but not at the bilateral level.

India and Pakistan have faced each other 13 times in T20 cricket, with India having a 10-3 lead. The last time the two sides met was in the T20 World Cup in the US in 2024, with the Men in Blue pocketing the low-scoring thriller by six runs.

(With Agency inputs)