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India will again start as firm favourites as they face Pakistan again in Asia Cup 2025, this time in the Super Four stage of the tournament, on Sunday (September 21) evening in Dubai.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav will once again depend heavily on his spin troika of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS).

Handshake controversy

There have been numerous tense build-ups to India-Pakistan men’s cricket matches in the past, but ‘surface tension’ wasn’t as visible as it has been in this case after last Sunday, when Suryakumar and his team’s decision not to shake hands with the rivals triggered a storm.

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It is understood that the Indian team is likely to maintain the policy against the neighbours this Sunday too and handshakes might not be the order of the day, even as Pakistani players and their supporters look at the game as a “Grudge Match”.

Sundays are not always the most relaxed days and skipper Suryakumar, who anchored India’s chase in their seven-wicket win on the previous one, would vouch for it.

In this tournament, Suryakumar is expected to be the best batter, a tactical genius and also an ambassador for his country – all rolled into one.

Axar’s head injury

Axar’s head injury while trying to take a catch against Oman would keep him and head coach Gautam Gambhir a little worried, but fielding coach T Dilip allayed fears by stating that he thought the all-rounder was doing fine.

Also read: India thrash Pakistan in Asia Cup; no handshakes after match

Before the Pakistan game, Surya needed to check all the important players in the line-up, and it is very clear that Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh didn’t look the part as little-known Pakistan-born Oman players – 43-year-old Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza – thrashed the out-of-sync duo.

On Sunday, though, one will get to see Jasprit Bumrah, whose mere presence lifts the spirit of his teammates in the playing eleven alongside Varun. Both were rested in the inconsequential last game.

The pitches on offer at the Dubai stadium are helping the slow bowlers and onus will once again be on Kuldeep Yadav (eight wickets in the tournament so far), Axar and Varun to tilt the scales decisively in India’s favour.

In case Axar is reported unfit by this evening, there is enough time to fly in a Washington Sundar or a Riyan Parag to fill in that slot, although it won’t exactly be a like-for-like replacement.

Ayub’s hat-trick of ducks

For Pakistan, a team whose beauty lay in its unpredictability, the current side surprisingly lacks quality, especially in the batting department, where none of the players can read the slow bowlers from the hand.

Also read: Suryakumar makes Pahalgam statement after win over Pakistan

For a country that produced champion players like Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul Haq, Saleem Malik, and Ijaz Ahmed in the bygone years, the current lot’s technique is rather poor.

Opener Saim Ayub, the left-hander who scored hat-trick of ducks in the tournament, has become a subject of ridicule for making more impact with the ball.

Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz are two batters, who are trying to hit out of trouble and only Shaheen Shah Afridi, to everyone’s surprise, has looked like the best batter in the squad.

Currently, there seem to be only two players, who can keep them in fight – Fakhar Zaman, the best batter in the squad, and Shaheen, who would like to bowl a better first spell against Abhishek Sharma.

Unlike the last game against India when Pakistan played a third spinner in left-armer Sufiyan Muqeem, there is more chance of fast bowler Haris Rauf getting the nod on Sunday after his impressive show against the UAE in their last group league game.

While Sanju Samson scored a scratchy fifty against Oman, it is unlikely that he would bat No. 3 against Pakistan if right-hander Shubman Gill gets out quickly.

It would be skipper Suryakumar, who would again be back at his familiar position which made him a world No. 1 batter.

In case Abhishek gets out in Powerplay, then left-handed Tilak Varma will bat at No. 3.

For India, runs from Gill and some quality batting time for Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube hasn’t happened so far. But one can trust India’s top four to handle the Pakistani bowlers.

In any case, Suryakumar and his men know when and to what extent the outside noise needs to be shut.

The Squads

India: Suyakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah Singh, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.

Pakistan: Salman Ali AGHA (CAPTAIN), abara Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, SUFYAN MoQim.

The match starts at 8 pm IST

(With agency inputs)