Credit: ACC
Team India and Pakistan are all set to square off against each other in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 clash in Dubai on Sunday, September 14. India won their maiden game of the tournament against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) comfortably by nine wickets and they will be expected to be at their best against the arch-rivals. Against the UAE, India were superior in all departments of the game. Bowlers did a magnificent job and bundled out the Emirates on 57. Chasing the low total, openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill also exuded confidence with his bat and produced rapid innings from their bats.
Noting extraordinary performances against the UAE, there were speculations in the media that the Men in Blue might go with the same playing XI against Pakistan on September 14. In a recent development, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed that India are highly unlikely to do any reforms against the Men in Green. “We are unlikely to make any changes,” said Ryan ten Doeschate as quoted by PTI.
Some faces to take on Pakistan for the first time in T20Is
If India go against Pakistan with the same playing XI, some new players from the defending champion side will clash against the Green Army for the first time in the shortest form of the sport. Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav have never played any T20I contest against the Men in Green. It will be interesting to witness how these players fare against their arch-rivals.
Earlier, in February 2025, when India and Pakistan competed against each other in the Champions Trophy 2025 contest in Dubai, Shubman and Kuldeep featured in their team’s 11-member squad. Kuldeep scalped 3/40 figures in his nine overs while Gill smashed 46 runs off 52 balls. India won that match by six wickets.
