The Asia Cup 2025 tournament starts on September 9th and the anticipation for the India vs. Pakistan match is building, despite the absence of some key players. The Pakistani team will be without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. On the Indian side, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from T20 cricket, so they will not be participating either. Even without these four star players, the India-Pakistan match is expected to be a thrilling event.
Rohit Sharma’s performance against Pakistan hasn’t been as strong as Virat Kohli’s. Rohit has played only 16 balls against Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi in T20s, scoring just 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 an excellent record against Afridi in T20 cricket, scoring 54 runs off 43 balls at a strike rate of 125.6 and an average of 54, with only one dismissal. Against Haris Rauf, he has scored 38 runs off 28 balls at a strike rate of 135.7 without being dismissed. In T20 matches against Pakistan, Kohli has scored 492 runs in 11 innings, averaging 70.28. Rohit Sharma has struggled against Pakistan, scoring only 127 runs in 11 innings, with an average of 14.11.
Mohammad Rizwan has been a standout performer 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, 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.
Despite the absence of these four prominent players, the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 is still expected to be exciting. The match is scheduled for December 14th in Dubai. Both teams have several impressive players. Pakistan has Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf, while India has 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, having taken 89 wickets in 70 T20 matches. Mohammed Siraj will also be a key player, having taken 14 wickets in 16 matches. A thrilling contest is anticipated.
