Asia Cup 2025: India vs Pakistan 2.0 promises more fireworks – this time on the pitch

Dubai: Another Sunday, another India-Pakistan clash in Dubai. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since their previous encounter last Sunday and many storylines have emerged, providing sufficient fodder for scribes and fans alike. Having said that, more talking points do elevate interest in a marquee match-up like this and in the tournament as a whole, now that the Asia Cup Super Four stage is under way.

The match referee issue in the aftermath of the ‘no handshake’ row has since been followed up by two consecutive pre-match press conferences being cancelled, ensuring the sequel has more noise surrounding it than Part One of this epic rivalry did.

But for the sides, keeping out that noise is what they are trying to ensure going into the match. Pakistan, by cancelling their second pre-match press conference in-a-row, may have again done the right thing of focusing solely on the game, since it is unlikely that the incidents following their previous encounter wouldn’t have been raked up again.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav was predictably asked the question and he deftly sidestepped it. "It will be a good contest between the ball and the bat", he said, before adding: "Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. I think that's the best thing to shut the noise. It's easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult."

Pakistan were less than clinical in their match against UAE, a game they had to win to get here. India, on the other hand, chose match-practice against Oman after winning their first two games and nearly paid the price. If they wanted to test their batting and bowling depths, they got their wish as Oman played out of their skin to push India more than the latter would have bargained for.

But maybe, that’s what the Men in Blue needed after two relatively easy wins against UAE and Pakistan. There are chinks in India’s armour that were exposed by Oman. Pakistan too haven’t beaten a Full Member side in this Asia Cup and the Super Four will be their first real test.

Shubman Gill is Indian cricket’s blue-eyed boy, but even his die-hard fans would have been skeptical about his inclusion in the T20 side as vice-captain, besides being given the role of opener in place of Sanju Samson. The first six Powerplay overs are extremely critical in the shortest white-ball format, and while his opening partner Abhishek Sharma has been going hammer-and-tongs from the word go, Gill has been found wanting in his role. Though it is unlikely India will tamper with their winning combination, meaning Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy will be back in the side to bolster the bowling attack which looked toothless against Oman, the elegant stroke-maker really needs to put some quick runs on the board to relieve pressure on the maverick Sharma and get the side off to a flyer.

Pakistan’s Saim Ayub has so far lasted four balls in his three matches and hasn’t troubled the scorers yet. For an opener expected to lay the foundations for his side’s total, his performance has been a real shocker. While he has shone with the ball, his failure at the top of the order has put more pressure on the middle order, with seasoned batter Fakhar Zaman bearing the brunt of it. Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has finally come into his own, winning the Man of the Match against UAE for his all-round skills. Skipper Salman Ali Agha will be expecting more from the rest of his players, for only a collective effort today will get them over the line.

While spin has been decisive in matches in the UAE, more so in Dubai than in Abu Dhabi, India may have to rethink their combination to go with three spinners if Axar Patel is not passed fit after he hurt his head while fielding against Oman. That aside, both teams have full-strength squads to choose from. The toss, as always, is going to be crucial, but with the dew not playing a major role, the side winning it might choose to bat first again in such a high-pressure game.