The Rivalry Reignites: India Clear Favourites as Pakistan Struggles for Footing in Asia Cup Clash

Dubai, Sep 13: A star-studded Indian side, brimming with batting and bowling depth, will start as overwhelming favourites against a new-look Pakistan team in Sunday’s Asia Cup showdown here — a contest surprisingly muted despite the historic weight it usually carries.

With T20 World Cup 2026 looming, this Indo-Pak battle has all the makings of a blockbuster, but political tensions, recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, and calls for boycott have kept the hype subdued. Thousands of tickets remain unsold, and the buzz around the game is far lower than usual.

On paper, India’s formidable line-up — including Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah — looks vastly superior to Pakistan’s inexperienced side under new skipper Salman Ali Agha. Pakistan’s young guns like Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz, along with spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, will need to rise to the occasion to mount a challenge.

While Indo-Pak matches are traditionally billed as a clash of India’s batting vs Pakistan’s pace, this time spin could take centre stage. Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel give India the edge over Pakistan’s spin attack.

For India, the only real threat remains Shaheen Afridi, who famously rattled India’s top order in 2021. But since his knee surgery, his sharp swing has largely deserted him.

Despite the lack of buzz, the stakes remain sky-high. For when India and Pakistan take the field, hype or not, the world will still stop to watch.