14th Match, Super Fours (N)
Dubai (DICS) — September 21, 2025 • 7:30 PM
Big picture
India and Pakistan meet again in Dubai, less than a week after their last clash. India arrive with a perfect record, while Pakistan come in with fresh adjustments after their win over UAE. This Super Four encounter resets the slate for both teams — conditions in Dubai have been slow and spin-friendly, so execution with the ball and smart batting through the middle overs will be crucial.
Form (last 5 T20Is)
- India: W W W W W
- Pakistan: W L W W W
Players to watch
- Jasprit Bumrah (IND): The spearhead may be due a big game; has been effective in powerplay and at the death.
- Hardik Pandya (IND): Four wickets short of 100 T20I wickets. His finishing and seam-bowling are vital.
- Saim Ayub (PAK): Three low scores but his attacking intent at the top remains key for Pakistan.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK): Left-arm swing could test India’s top order like Oman’s Shah Faisal did.
Possible XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel/Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Conditions & toss
Dubai’s surfaces remain slow and favour spin. Chasing teams have often had the advantage here, but the last five matches are 3–2 in favour of chasing. Dew hasn’t been a major factor so far in this Asia Cup.
Head-to-head in T20Is
India lead 11–3 (including the bowl-out win in 2007).
Key milestones
- Sanju Samson needs 83 runs to reach 1000 T20I runs.
- Hardik Pandya is four wickets shy of 100 T20I wickets.
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