Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India prepare for a tense Super 4 match against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday. The stakes are raised not only by the fierce rivalry but also by recent tensions: last Sunday, India’s players opted not to shake hands with their rivals, a move that has dominated headlines.
India playing strategy
India’s lineup is well‑balanced, with Suryakumar expected to anchor the innings. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy return to the playing XI after being rested in the previous inconsequential game. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy will bear the responsibility of turning the game in India’s favour, especially on the slow Dubai International Cricket Stadium surface. Fielding coach T Dilip has assured that Axar’s head injury is not serious; if he is unfit, Washington Sundar or Riyan Parag remain possible replacements.
Pakistan concerns and form
Pakistan enter with a thin batting lineup. Opener Saim Ayub has struggled for form. Shaheen Shah Afridi has been their standout performer, and Fakhar Zaman remains their most reliable batter. Their middle order continues to appear fragile. Fast bowler Haris Rauf may return after a strong showing against the UAE.
Where and when to watch India vs Pak match
Date: 21 September 2025
Time (IST): 8 PM
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
In India, the match will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network, with live streaming available on SonyLIV. In the United States, viewers can watch on Willow TV (starting at 10:30 AM EST). In the United Kingdom, coverage begins on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR at 3:00 PM BST, with kick‑off at 3:30 PM BST; streaming will also be available via the Sky Go app for subscribers.
Asia Cup Super Four schedule
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
(With inputs from TOI)
India playing strategy
India’s lineup is well‑balanced, with Suryakumar expected to anchor the innings. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy return to the playing XI after being rested in the previous inconsequential game. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy will bear the responsibility of turning the game in India’s favour, especially on the slow Dubai International Cricket Stadium surface. Fielding coach T Dilip has assured that Axar’s head injury is not serious; if he is unfit, Washington Sundar or Riyan Parag remain possible replacements.
Pakistan concerns and form
Pakistan enter with a thin batting lineup. Opener Saim Ayub has struggled for form. Shaheen Shah Afridi has been their standout performer, and Fakhar Zaman remains their most reliable batter. Their middle order continues to appear fragile. Fast bowler Haris Rauf may return after a strong showing against the UAE.
Where and when to watch India vs Pak match
Date: 21 September 2025
Time (IST): 8 PM
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
In India, the match will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network, with live streaming available on SonyLIV. In the United States, viewers can watch on Willow TV (starting at 10:30 AM EST). In the United Kingdom, coverage begins on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR at 3:00 PM BST, with kick‑off at 3:30 PM BST; streaming will also be available via the Sky Go app for subscribers.
Asia Cup Super Four schedule
- Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 20 Sep, Dubai, 8 PM IST
- India vs Pakistan, 21 Sep, Dubai, 8 PM IST
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 23 Sep, Abu Dhabi, 8 PM IST
- India vs Bangladesh, 24 Sep, Dubai, 8 PM IST
- Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 25 Sep, Dubai, 8 PM IST
- India vs Sri Lanka, 26 Sep, Dubai, 8 PM IST
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
(With inputs from TOI)
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