The usual buzz surrounding cricket’s fiercest rivalry between India and Pakistan may have dulled due to recent political tensions, yet sparks are still expected when the two sides meet in the blockbuster clash of the 2025 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Heightened border tensions and the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, have blunted the usual fireworks in the build-up, with sluggish demands for tickets even as India’s practice session on Friday uncharacteristically attracted sparse crowds.
Though the iconic rivalry itself remains undimmed, the festive buzz that typically surrounds this contest has largely evaporated. Social media calls for a boycott have gained momentum, adding to organisers’ uncertainty over whether senior BCCI officials, who are regular fixtures at such high-profile encounters, will turn up.
The Government of India recently reiterated its long-standing stance, allowing the national team to face Pakistan only in multi-nation tournaments like the Asia Cup or World Cup, while strictly prohibiting bilateral engagements.
While players and officials on both sides have steered clear of politically charged queries, a rare flashpoint came when India skipper Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha at the trophy launch press conference, a moment signalling the frosty relations between the two neighbouring nations.
On the field, however, the stakes remain high. India, with its enviable batting arsenal of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, looks formidable against a Pakistan side reshaped under Salman, relying on fresh faces like Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz instead of old warhorses Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
This time, spin rather than pace could define the contest. India’s world-class trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy faces off against Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Mohammad Nawaz, with Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi the only frontline quicks.
Afridi, who once tore through India at this venue in 2021, has struggled for form since his knee surgery, while Kuldeep’s mastery continues to torment batters across formats.
With both sides warming up in style against relatively weaker opponents in their 2025 Asia Cup campaign openers, Sunday’s encounter could be the first keenly-contested game, with both Suryakumar and Salman already making it clear there are no instructions to curb aggression or control emotions.
“Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said during the captains’ conference ahead of the tournament. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”
Salman shared a similar view, insisting that players would be free to express themselves. “If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive, and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going. From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”
India’s tactical puzzles include finding the right spot for Samson and maximising Dube’s role against spin in the middle overs. Pakistan, meanwhile, banks on Shaheen rediscovering his spark and the spinners finding rhythm.
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr.