Haris Rauf To Return? Pakistan’s Likely Playing XI Against India | Cricket News

Pakistan will face world No. 1 T20I side India in the sixth match of Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, September 14. For the high-voltage Group A match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan team management could consider bringing Haris Rauf back in the side. Rauf, who is Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in the 20-over format of the game, warmed the bench in the last two T20I matches as the team management preferred to go ahead with two specialist spinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqueem – and two all-rounders – Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf.

While all four of them impressed with their performances, for the match against India, Pakistan will need the experience and pace of Haris, which is why the Rawalpindi-born pacer is in contention to play.

If Rauf returns to the playing XI, then one of Abrar or Sufiyan will have to sit out. There is another possibility in which Rauf could come in for Shaheen Shah Afridi.

In the ongoing 2025-26 season, Shaheen has only managed to take seven wickets in seven matches. But chances of him making way for Shaheen are very slim.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali, who is the highest wicket-taker in Pakistan Super League (PSL) history, is also part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, and he could also get a game. In his last T20I match, Hasan dismissed three UAE batters.

In the batting, Pakistani fans will have high expectations from Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha. In Pakistan’s first match of the Asia Cup 2025, which was played against Oman on Friday, September 12, both Ayub and Agha got out for golden ducks.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris top-scored by hammering 66 runs from 43 balls. He, along with Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz, could be game changers for the new-look Pakistani team.

In the build-up to the match against India, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has described Nawaz as the best spinner in the world at the moment, and therefore there will be a spotlight on his performance as well.

In the last Asia Cup T20I match played against India in Dubai on September 4, 2022, the Men in Green secured a win by 5 wickets, and they will look to repeat the same show on Sunday as well.

Pakistan’s likely playing XI for the Asia Cup 2025 Group A match against India: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed.

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