The Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 9th, with Pakistan having announced their team. Notably, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will not be part of the Pakistani squad. On the Indian side, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will also miss the tournament, having retired from T20 cricket. Although four key players are absent, the India vs. Pakistan match promises to be a captivating spectacle.
Rohit Sharma’s record against Pakistan is less remarkable, whereas Virat Kohli has a strong batting record against them. In T20s, Rohit has played 16 balls against Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, scoring only 12 runs and being dismissed twice. He has faced Haris Rauf for only two balls without scoring a run, getting out once.
Virat Kohli, however, has shown better form against Afridi in T20 cricket, scoring 54 runs off 43 balls at a strike rate of 125.6 and an average of 54, with just one dismissal. Against Haris Rauf, he scored 38 runs off 28 balls at a strike rate of 135.7, without being dismissed. In T20s against Pakistan, Kohli has amassed 492 runs in 11 innings, averaging 70.28. Rohit Sharma has struggled against Pakistan, scoring 127 runs in 11 innings, with an average of 14.11.
From Pakistan’s perspective, Mohammad Rizwan has performed admirably against India, scoring 228 runs in five innings at an average of 57 in T20s. While Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer for India in this format, Rizwan tops the list for Pakistan. Rizwan has scored 54 runs off 43 balls against Jasprit Bumrah, averaging 54, and has been dismissed once.
Babar Azam has scored 105 runs in five innings against India in the T20 format, with an average of 26.25. His statistics against Jasprit Bumrah are not impressive; he has scored only 22 runs off 39 balls against Bumrah in the T20 format, showing the pressure exerted by Bumrah.
Even without these four key players, the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 will remain highly engaging. The match is scheduled for December 14th in Dubai. Both teams have a wealth of talented players. Pakistan boasts Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf, while India features Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
In T20 statistics, Fakhar Zaman has scored 1949 runs in 97 matches with a strike rate of 131.77. Salman Ali Agha has scored 380 runs in 20 matches with an average of 27.14. Shaheen Shah Afridi has 104 wickets in 81 matches, and Haris Rauf has 120 wickets in 87 T20 matches.
Hardik Pandya has scored 1812 runs in 114 T20 matches with a strike rate of 141.67, and has also taken 94 wickets. Suryakumar Yadav has scored 2598 runs in 83 matches with an average of 38.20. Jasprit Bumrah is a significant bowler for India in the Asia Cup 2025, with 89 wickets in 70 matches, while Mohammed Siraj has 14 wickets in 16 matches. An exciting contest is anticipated.