India and Pakistan compete in Asia Cup on 14 SeptemberImage Credit Source: PTI
There is less than a month left in the Asia Cup 2025. It will start from the 9th of September and on September 28, the champion of the 8 team tournament will be decided. Once again this tournament is being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Earlier in 2022, this tournament was played in UAE. Incidentally, three years ago, this tournament was held in T20 format in UAE and this time the same format is also. Now the format is anyone, the venue is anywhere, but the eyes will be only on the competition of India and Pakistan, which can be seen 3 times. Now the question is, who is heavy in these two teams?
India-Pakistan matches in Dubai
India and Pakistan will be the first competition in the Asia Cup on September 14 amidst all the protests, the voice arising for the boycott and the tension on the border. Like every event, India and Pakistan have been kept in the same group (A). There will be a competition between the two in the group stage, as well as the match in the Super-4 round is almost certain, provided the UAE or Oman do not make any surprise upset. If both teams finished first and second in Super-4, then they will also meet in the finals as well.
Now, if we look at the current form, Team India’s hand seems heavy, which has defeated teams like Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia and England besides winning the T20 World Cup in the last one year. At the same time, Pakistan’s performance has been full of ups and downs. But before the collision in the Asia Cup, it is necessary to know an important aspect and that is Venue. All possible matches including group stage between the two teams will be played at Dubai International Stadium and the pan is a bit heavy here.
Pakistani team is heavy on India
In this stadium, a total of 3 T20 matches have been played between India and Pakistan, in which 2 Pakistan have won and one has come in the bag of India. In the Asia Cup held three years ago, India and Pakistan clashed 2 times on this ground and won one match each. An additional match Pakistan has won was in the T20 World Cup 2021, when for the first time it defeated Team India in any World Cup. Incidentally, Team India did not reach the final in that World Cup and then Asia Cup.
From this, it seems that the Asia Cup played in the T20 format in UAE is not a profitable deal for Team India. But looking at the strength of the Indian team captained by Suryakumar Yadav and coaching Gautam Gambhir, it does not seem that the old record will have any effect on it. This team has defeated teams with different capacity in different circumstances in the last one year. In such a situation, the Indian team will once again be the title contender.
