Pakistan once again went down to India in Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. Pakistan gave better account of themselves and fought well but still they went down to India as the Men in Blue were the better team and played better on the night. While Pakistan‘s performance improved by leaps and bounds, they couldn’t get over the line and there were areas where they lacked. Here, we will try and list out three reasons for their loss to India.
Losing 3/28 in overs 11-15 pegged Pakistan back
Pakistan came out all guns blazing after losing the toss in Dubai. Aided by multiple errors in the field from India with regards to dropped catches, Pakistan got off to a blazing start scoring 55/1 in the powerplay 6 overs and consolidated their position to get to 91/1 after 10 overs when Drinks was taken. The break allowed India to regroup and they came out with flying colours after that. Pakistan were pegged back by India in this phase.
The introduction of Shivam Dube turned out to be a masterstroke as he came in and broke the partnership dismissing Saim Ayub before Hussain Talat was prized out by Kuldeep Yadav. Dube had another important wicket as he got rid of Sahibzada Farhan after reaching his half-century. His 2 wickets and Kuldeep’s one meant Pakistan played dot balls and there was a break in the scoring rate and flow of runs. Pakistan after 15 overs were 119/4 after being 91/1 in 10 overs at one stage.
To beat a quality side, one needs to be good in all phases of the game and the phase overs 11-15 is very important in T20 Cricket. This is where Pakistan faltered a bit. They did well in the death overs to get 52 runs in the last 5 overs to get to 171/5 which was an average winning total in Dubai but not quite a winning total. Had Pakistan aced the aforementioned phase, then the score would have been close to 190-200 and it would have been a different ball game altogether. But keeping the score to 171 allowed India to be in the game.
Looking ahead, Pakistan needs to do well in all the phases of the game and cannot blow hot and cold as they will face a must-win situation against Sri Lanka in their next Super 4 clash. It will be interesting to see how Pakistan bounces back from this defeat.
Inability to stop Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill hurts PakistanÂ
Pakistan would have hoped for early wickets while defending 171. But that was not to be for them as Indian openers came out all guns blazing. Abhishek Sharma was quick off the blocks as he hit the first ball of the innings for the maximum and then there was no looking back for the Indian openers. Abhishek put on a show as he took the aerial route while Shubman Gill complimented him really well by playing shots along the ground as Pakistan lacked ideas out there. Placement was the key with Gill.
Pakistan seemed to have no ideas against the Indian openers as all the slot balls went the distance. Yes, it was a good pitch to bat on, but Pakistan who are known for their bowling failed to make early inroads. When they did it was too little too late in the game with India under control of proceedings. Shaheen Afridi and Saim Ayub both travelled and so did Abrar Ahmed. Only Haris Rauf who was introduced later into the attack bowled well for the Men in Green.
Looking ahead to their next game, Pakistan needs to be more incisive with their bowling and look for wickets at regular intervals if they wish to win their next game which will be against Sri Lanka who too lost their first game. The bowling which is generally their strength did not stand up for Pakistan albeit on a pitch that did not have much demons for the players playing on it. There are positives for Pakistan but not good enough to win on the night.
Shaheen Afridi’s lacklustre night compounds woes for Pakistan
Another important aspect to note is Shaheen Afridi’s performance with the ball. He has blown hot and cold in this tournament and with the ball he has been more cold than hot. While he did well when Pakistan were under pressure with the bat in hand, with ball he was not quite there. On a night when Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah had an off day too, Afridi too went the distance and hurt Pakistan while defending the score.
Afridi has failed to pick up wickets and has conceded runs. Against India in the group stage game, Abhishek Sharma took him on and rattled Afridi from which he never could make a comeback. The same thing was repeated last night as Abhishek and Gill took the attack to the opposition and Afridi had no plans to combat the batters. He looked in good rhythm in the Tri-series that preceded this tournament. But in Asia Cup with ball in hand he has failed to take wickets and across two matches against India he was wicketless.
Pakistan needs Shaheen Afridi to bounce back with a bang if there are to make a comeback in this Super 4 stage. They need him to perform with the ball and rattle the opposition and it will all start with the game against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Afridi must bring him A-game to the plate and do well for his side to help Pakistan overcome all obstacles. If he fails to perform again, then Pakistan may be in troubled waters as far as qualification for finals is concerned.
What Lies Ahead
Asia Cup 2025 takes a well deserved one day’s break as the action is set to resume on 23rd September 2025 in Abu Dhabi when the Men in Green Pakistan are back in action against the Men from Emerald Island in Sri Lanka at 8 PM IST on Tuesday. It is a must-win clash for both teams as both lost their opening Super 4s games while defending a score.
Which team will keep their hopes alive after Tuesday night? Only time will tell as this promises to be another close encounter.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Abhishek Sharma’s Masterful 74 Guides India To A Big Win