Asia Cup 2025 Thriller: India vs Pakistan Face Off in Dubai, Pakistan to Bat First

Dubai (The Uttam Hindu): In one of the most anticipated matches of Asia Cup 2025, India and Pakistan are going head-to-head at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Aga won the toss and opted to bat first.

Speaking after the toss, Salman Ali Aga said, “We are going to bat first. We are playing good cricket and are very excited. The pitch seems slow. Our plan is to put up runs first. We have been here for nearly 20 days and have adapted to the conditions.”

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav commented, “We wanted to bowl first and are happy with the decision. We just played on a nearby pitch which was good for batting at night. There’s some moisture, so dew is expected. No changes have been made to the playing XI.”

Historically, India holds a strong record against Pakistan in T20s, having won 10 out of 13 matches, while Pakistan has won 3. Both teams have won their opening matches in this tournament—India defeated UAE and Pakistan overcame Oman.

This match has sparked widespread discussions, especially following the Pahalgam attack, when there were talks of a potential boycott. However, both teams are now facing each other on the field.

India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saeem Ayub, Mohammad Harris (W), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Aga (Captain), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Mukim, Abrar Ahmed