Who: India vs Pakistan
What: T20 Asia Cup Super Fours
When: Sunday, September 21 at 14:30 GMT
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 09:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
It will be a case of “here we go again” as bitter rivals India and Pakistan meet on the cricket field for the second time in eight days at the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.
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The stakes will be higher this time as their clash on Sunday takes place in the Super Fours stage, and the winning side will take one step closer to the final, while the losers will move further away from the tournament decider.
India will start as favourites for multiple reasons, not least their seven-wicket thrashing of Pakistan in their Group A match on September 14.
In addition to their status as the ICC’s top-ranked men’s T20 team, Suryakumar Yadav’s side are the tournament’s defending champions and the reigning T20 champions.
For Pakistan, a lot more than two points will be on the line as they will look to put aside not only the embarrassing defeat but also events that transpired following their thumping loss, as India’s players walked off the field without partaking in the customary post-match handshake.
Here’s what you need to know about the match:
What happened in the last India vs Pakistan match?
India stamped their authority on the match with the first ball, as Pakistan’s opener Saim Ayub Ayub was caught out at point off Hardik Pandya’s bowling and wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris followed suit in the next over as India’s star bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck.
It wasn’t until Shaheen Shah Afridi and leg-spin bowler Sufiyan Muqeem hit four fours and two sixes that Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark in their 19th over and finished at 128.
The target was never going to be enough for a power-packed Indian batting lineup, and opener Abhishek Sharma took the match away from Pakistan with his belligerent innings of 31 runs off 13 balls.
Yadav followed suit with 47 runs off 37 balls as India won their second match of the tournament.
India walked away with two points and walked off without shaking hands with the Pakistan team, as is the norm after every cricket match.
What happened after the match?
Yadav walked off the field alongside his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.
Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.
However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.
Why did India’s players not shake hands with the Pakistani team?
“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” India’s captain Yadav said when asked to clarify his team’s actions.
“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.”
Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.
How did Pakistan respond?
Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Pycroft, who is an ICC accredited match referee.
Additionally, Pakistan captain Agha did not speak at the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster, in a mark of protest.
Three days later, Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest, causing a delayed start to their match against the UAE.
Why is India ‘hosting’ the Asia Cup in the UAE?
India was slated to host the tournament as per the hosting rights schedule, and while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the official host of the tournament, it is being played in the UAE due to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
Why doesn’t India play bilateral cricket series against Pakistan?
The Indian government has barred its athletes and teams from competing against their Pakistani counterparts in bilateral tournaments in all sports. Indian athletes are also barred from travelling to Pakistan, forcing all India-Pakistan encounters in multination sports tournaments to be hosted at a neutral venue.
Prior to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, both countries agreed to host each other at a neutral venue during ICC events.
What’s the weather forecast for India vs Pakistan in Dubai?
The weather forecast for Sunday is hot and humid, with highs of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) and partial cloud cover.
It will get slightly cooler in the evening as the match will start just after sunset, and the temperature will drop to 31C (88F).
How many times has Pakistan won the Asia Cup?
Pakistan have lifted the trophy on two occasions – in 2000 and 2012 – and qualified for the final five times.
India are seven-time Asia Cup champions, with 11 appearances in the final.
How many times has India beaten Pakistan in the Asia Cup?
In their 20 clashes in the Asia Cup, India have beaten Pakistan 11 times and lost to their neighbours on six occasions. Three matches, including the group-stage match in 2023, were abandoned due to poor weather.
When was the last time Pakistan beat India?
Pakistan’s last Asia Cup win over India came in the 2022 edition in the UAE. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 71 runs in the Super Four clash, but it was Mohammad Nawaz’s 20-ball-41 that took Pakistan over the line in the run chase.
India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head in T20Is
Since the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, the countries have met in 14 T20Is. India has won 11 times, including the first match in 2007, which was tied and then decided in a Super Over.
Two of Pakistan’s three wins came in Dubai.
Players to watch: India
- Abhishek Sharma: The fact that the young top-order batter has managed to carve a spot in a highly competitive T20 Indian batting lineup is enough to mark Sharma as one to watch in the Asia Cup. The 24-year-old boasts the highest career strike rate of 193 among all batters in T20s and backs it up with two centuries and half-centuries in the format.
- Varun Chakaravarthy: The 34-year-old leg-spin bowler’s second foray into the Indian side has reaped him big rewards as he has taken 27 wickets in his last 12 T20I matches.
Players to watch: Pakistan
- Hasan Nawaz: Pakistan have often been criticised for their batters’ inability to match modern-day T20 batting strike rates, but in Nawaz, they seem to have found a solution to this problem. The 23-year-old has a strike rate of 174, with a T20 hundred and two fifties in his 16 matches.
- Sufiyan Muqeem: The left-arm wrist spinner has taken 25 wickets in his 17 T20Is since making his debut less than two years ago and has become a mainstay of the bowling lineup in limited-overs cricket.
Form guide: India
India are unbeaten in the Asia Cup and have not lost a T20 series since winning the World Cup in June 2024.
Last five results (most recent first): W-W-W-W-W
Form guide: Pakistan
Pakistan’s form in T20s has been mixed of late and but they head into the marquee clash with a series win in the bag.
Last five results (most recent first): W-L-W-W-L
Team news: India
After resting a couple of their star bowlers in the game against Oman, the holders are expected to go back to the same team that beat Pakistan in the group stage.
Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper).
Team news: Pakistan
Despite the loss on Sunday, Pakistan are expected to field the same XI and will hope the result goes their way this time.
Predicted XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Squad: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Where can I buy tickets for India vs Pakistan?
A selection of seats, starting at $95 apiece for the general stand and going up to $8,767 for a four-person hospitality box, is still available on the tournament’s official ticketing website, Platinumlist, and at the stadium’s ticketing office.
