Asia Cup 2025: With subdued buildup, India-Pakistan rivalry shifts from stars to teams

Though they are at different points in their journey of self-discovery and identity, India and Pakistan will launch a new era of their storied cricketing rivalry when they meet at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday in the Asia Cup.

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan, the spotlight will shift from individual characters and larger-than-life figures to the fine print of team combinations and cohesion, with both sides adopting similar strategies.

The most striking resemblance between the Playing XIs of both sides in their respective tournament openers was the batting depth and the barren look of the pace department. Both India and Pakistan opted for the lone specialist seamer in their comprehensive victories over the UAE and Oman, respectively, and plumped for two specialist spinners. The batting was shored up till No. 8, which meant that room for specialist bowlers was limited.

Also read | Started as a tournament to promote goodwill, the Asia Cup has become a launchpad for lesser-known teams

But the similarities seem to end there. Though both sides have emphasised the need for an aggressive outlook with the bat, they find themselves on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of execution. On a pitch that saw India ransack 60 runs in 4.3 overs against the UAE, Pakistan could only eke out 31 in the first five overs against Oman.

India has walked the talk on its high-intent approach with a run rate of 10.86 in the PowerPlay this year, while Pakistan’s experiment with a higher tempo has been fitful at best, with 7.56 runs coming per over in the first six overs.

More than on paper, Pakistan’s T20 rebranding has been visible in the change of personnel, with former skippers Babar and Rizwan making way for Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan at the top of the order.

There was much chatter about Shubman Gill disrupting the bruising Indian opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, but the Test skipper’s nine-ball 20 against the UAE attests he isn’t going to relent.

With at least eight spinners in the mix, the middle-overs could prove to be the decisive battlefield. This stage of the innings, often overlooked because of the carnage that precedes and succeeds it, has been the driving force of Pakistan’s attempt at a T20 renaissance.

The Salman Ali Agha-led side’s run rate (8.27) between overs 7 to 15 pips that of India’s (8.19). However, the world-class spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, who is coming off a four-wicket haul, is more than capable of upending this surge.

India, too, will be faced with a similar challenge, with leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem operating in tandem, but a middle-order alternating between right and left-handers could be an antidote.

Both sets of spinners are coming off rich hauls in their previous outings, and the slow nature of the conditions will only whet the appetite. For once, the focus may not be on Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi, who will be happy to cede the spotlight to their crafty tweakers.

It has been an unusually subdued buildup to the biggest box office event on the cricketing calendar in the wake of diplomatic tensions between the neighbours. Tickets remain available on the eve of the match, and the air lacks the usual electric buzz.

However, once the action begins, a semblance of normalcy could return. Only seven players who featured in the T20 World Cup contest last year between the two sides may take the field on Sunday, so a new normal could well be the norm going forward.

Published on Sep 13, 2025