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Saim has played six matches in the Asia Cup 2025 for Pakistan but only managed to score 23 runs. He has failed to open his account in four out of six matches.
For the first time ever, Pakistan will face India in the final of the Asia Cup. For the summit clash of the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 28, the Pakistan team management could consider dropping left-handed batter Saim Ayub from the playing XI. Saim has played all six matches in the tournament so far for Pakistan but could only manage to score 23 runs. Of those 23 runs, 21 came in the Super 4s match against India in Dubai on September 21.
Saim has four ducks to his name in the ongoing tournament and due to his flop show with the bat, Pakistan could drop him. Due to his three ducks in three Group A matches, Saim was dropped as an opener in the Super 4s stage. He played three matches as No. 3 batter in the Super 4s but there as well he failed to live up to the expectations.
If, for the high-voltage match, Pakistan’s team management decides to axe Saim, then Hasan Nawaz could replace him in the playing XI. Hasan has played 22 T20Is for Pakistan so far and amassed a total of 449 runs. He has a strike rate of 158.09 in T20Is.
However, the chances of that happening are very slim because even though the Karachi-based cricketer Saim has failed to deliver with the bat, he has picked up 8 wickets so far in the tournament.
Pakistan qualified for the final by securing an 11-run win over Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday, and there’s a high possibility that Salman Ali Agha will play the final with the unchanged side. However, it will be interesting to see the team’s batting order.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris scored a half-century in Pakistan’s first Group A match as a No. 3 batter, but after failing to perform against India in the next match, he was dropped to bat in the lower order. He has done a fine job with the bat in Pakistan’s last match against Bangladesh, and the 31-run knock could earn him a promotion in the batting order. The same is the case with Hussain Talat too. The all-rounder was POTM in the five-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday, and there will be high expectations from him once again.
Pakistani fans will also want captain Salman Ali Agha to step up in the title decider and play a match-winning knock for the team.
Pakistan’s likely playing XI for the Asia Cup 2025 final against India: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (C), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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