New Delhi: The Men in Blue will look to extend their winning momentum when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group-stage clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 14.
India started their campaign with a dominant victory against the UAE by nine wickets. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav delivered a sensational performance, taking four wickets for just seven runs in a brilliant 2.1-over spell.
Salman Agha’s Pakistan are high on confidence after a comfortable 93-run victory against Oman. Their bowlers dismantled Oman’s batting line-up with a clinical display. In the last five meetings between both sides, the Men in Blue managed to win three games, while Pakistan emerged victorious in two matches.
All eyes will be on whether Pakistan can break India’s dominance in the Asia Cup and script an upset in Dubai. Here are the key players from both sides who can change the match.
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah is one of India’s best fast bowlers and their biggest weapon in high-octane matches. The star bowler has an impressive record against Pakistan, taking five wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 5.43. He doesn’t need ideal conditions to take wickets, and the opposition would be the most wary of him. Overall, Bumrah has picked up 90 wickets in 71 T20I matches at an economy of 6.28.
Kuldeep Yadav
Talking about conditions in Dubai, there is one bowler who can exploit them better than anyone. Kuldeep has spent most of 2025 on the sitting outside, but he delivered a stunning performance in the last match against the UAE. He troubled the batters with his variations and picked up four wickets. Most of the current Pakistan batters haven’t played much against Kuldeep and they might find it difficult to play shots against him.
Hardik Pandya
Pakistan are one of Hardik Pandya’s favourite opponents. He has picked up 13 wickets in the six T20I innings at an average of just 12. Although the Men in Blue would want their star all-rounder to contribute with both bat and ball. He can change the game in India’s favour at the Dubai International Stadium. Hardik has delivered some crucial performances for the Men in Blue in recent times and is in sensational form. He has played 115 matches and scored 1812 runs at a strike rate of 141, also taking 94 wickets at an economy of 8.21.
Saim Ayub
The left-handed opener is Pakistan’s most exciting talent. Ayub can score big runs if he gets going in the match. He has struggled to perform with the bat in recent matches, but he can be a game-changer for Pakistan with his powerful hitting. Ayub might be one of the few players in that team who can handle the variety of the Indian attack. In his short T20I career, he has scored 599 runs in 42 matches at an impressive strike rate of 136.23.
Mohammad Nawaz
The all-rounder was in the spotlight leading up to the Asia Cup, but he has been in excellent form recently. He took five wickets in the T20I tri-series final against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, picking up a hat-trick. He also batted well against Oman in the Asia Cup opener and took one wicket.
Overall, Nawaz has played 72 T20I matches and scored 657 runs at a strike rate of 133.80, also taking 71 wickets at an economy of 7.25.
Sufyaan Muqeem
Muqeem does not turn the ball as extraordinarily as Kuldeep does. But he gets adequate turns both ways and is precise with his lengths. Muqeem has a higher and straighter release point, which makes it difficult to batter to sweep him. In his short T20I career, Muqeem has played 18 T20I matches and picked up 27 wickets at an economy of 6.1.