Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav put on a brilliant spell of bowling to destroy Pakistan in the first innings before handy knocks from Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma took India home in the run-chase.
Check out the key takeaways from the match.
Despite Saim Ayub returning to take the big wicket of Tilak Varma with a cracking off break delivery, India didn’t break a sweat to chase down the runs as Suryakumar Yadav saw them through.
India take the first honors in this Asia Cup against Pakistan, but expect at least one more clash between the neighbours this month. And if the second innings is anything to go by, Pakistan might just be able to put up a better fight if they put India in to bat first against their spin army.
Muqeem came in with Suryakumar and Tilak Varma slightly tentative, but his first two overs lacked control as India milked 21 runs off him to set the tempo in the middle overs.
Without being overly aggressive, Tilak and Suryakumar kept the pressure on Muqeem even as Abrar tightened screws from the other end. India needed to let steam off from one end with Abrar bowling tight and Muqeem’s poor lines helped them as they cashed in to keep the run-chase on the easy path.
Tilak Varma declared his intent early when he reverse slapped Nawaz to the point boundary and then followed it up with clean strikes through the off-side to pick up more runs off the left-arm spinner who was labelled the best T20I spinner in the world currently by the Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson recently.
A bit bizarre that Pakistan decided to take Ayub off the attack given how he was troubling India with his variations. But there’s Abrar, who also has some tricks up his sleeve, from the other end.
Against UAE, Abhishek had gotten off the mark with a six followed by a four. Here, he hit Shaheen down the ground by stepping out first ball and followed it up with a stand-still loft over long-off for six the next ball. Shaheen beats Shubman Gill’s attempted lofted drive soon after, but it’s very clear India mean to attack form the word go.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ploy to use Saim Ayub with the new ball again pays off as he beats Gill on the outside edge and has him stumped with a carrom ball.
Only two times have India failed to chase a score lower than 127 in men’s T20Is — both very famous ones. One was the 2016 T20 World Cup game against New Zealand in Nagpur when they were bowled out for 79 chasing 127. The second came against Zimbabwe a week after the T20 World Cup 2024 title win with a second-string side. Then, India failed to chase 116, being bowled out for 102.
Shaheen started the first major counterattack from Pakistan, but it came a tad too late. He took on Varun Chakravarthy and later got stuck into Hardik Pandya in the final over to give Pakistan a few handy runs. Shaheen finished on 33 off just 16 balls.
In between, Sufiyan Muqeem backed away to take on Bumrah of all people, and even succeeded twice before a full toss accounted for him.
Despite the late runs, Pakistan appear to be well short to challenge India unless Shaheen, after his batting heroics, can dent India’s top-order in the first few overs. Who’s to say what might happen after that?
Axar: 4-0-18-2
Kuldeep: 4-0-18-3
A sensational spell from these two to run through Pakistan’s middle-order. Axar was brilliant in using the crease and angles, putting on a masterclass in defensive T20 bowling.
And Kuldeep stifled the big hits with his flights and variations. Pakistan batters had little counter except the sweep for these two and on a turning wicket, it just wasn’t going to be enough. A remarkable performance from Kuldeep and Axar to make it a one-sided first half in Dubai.
Farhan, who was the only Pakistan batter to offer some fight, fell for 40 in Kuldeep’s final over to the googly.
Salman Agha sweeps one too many after struggling to read all of India’s spinners and gifts a wicket to Axar Patel as Pakistan lose their fourth. Axar has two wickets and India have put the breaks on Pakistan’s mini-charge that didn’t last very long. The hopes now ride on Sahibzada Farhan, who has looked a million dollars one over and a penny in the next.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav sends back the big-hitter Hasan Nawaz, who tries a wild sweep only to top edge it and get caught inside the circle. Mohammad Nawaz falls next ball after getting trapped in front by Kuldeep’s googly. A pathetic batting performance from Pakistan so far and India are compounding their woes.
Fakhar Zaman had a clear plan vs the Indian spinners today — to try and step down to tackle them before the ball turns and it worked for a bit. Even after Kuldeep Yadav nearly deceived him with flight and turn, Fakhar attempted a similar stepped out loft against Axar next over. He couldn’t get to the pitch of the ball and was caught in the deep.
As though to validate Fakhar’s approach, Salman Agha nearly falls while staying glued to the crease, attempting to sweep Varun in the 9th over. The on-field umpire gives him out, but he overturns the appeal with a review. Next ball, he is beaten on the outside edge by a Varun leg break. The signals are clear — Fakhar might have failed, but Pakistan batters can’t stay in the crease.
It doesn’t happen often, but Sahibzada Farhan takes on Jasprit Bumrah for two sixes across two overs — one a good length delivery smashed over long on and then a back of a length delivery that is pulled over square leg for another maximum. Pakistan make a slow recovery after the early blows with Fakhar Zaman showing confidence against Varun Chakravarthy and Farhan taking on Bumrah.
Saim Ayub falls for his 4th golden duck in T20Is this year, guiding Hardik Pandya straight to Bumrah at point. No Ayub vs Bumrah battle today! Watch the wicket HERE.
Things go from bad to worse as Haris skies one to Hardik, and Fakhar Zaman is trapped LBW first ball by a lethal Bumrah yorker. But he overturns it with a review with the ball pitching outside leg. Pakistan nearly three down in a flash.
But, Bumrah is on fire and the ball is swinging. Brace for more damage!
Both sides are unchanged for this key fixture, meaning we’ll see two spin heavy attacks going head to head. The surface is likely to slow down in the latter half, which could be the reason why Salman Ali Agha opted to bat first. Expect Pakistan to try and stifle India’s big hitters with spin in the run-chase. But first up, they’ll need to put runs on the board against a high-quality Indian bowling line-up.
Dubai has hosted India-Pakistan encounters before, but tonight the city feels different. The flags and drums are the same, the anticipation no less intense, yet the names on the team sheets tell you this isn’t a repeat of familiar chapters. The Asia Cup 2025 has ushered in a generational reset. No Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma striding out for India. No Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan holding Pakistan’s innings together. Instead, it is Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Saim Ayub and Salman Agha who must carry the weight of history.
The context makes it heavier still. This is the first meeting since the Pahalgam incident, and the match goes ahead despite fan backlash in India. The cricket, though, rarely needs politics to supply tension. When India and Pakistan line up, it is never just a game. Every boundary, every wicket will echo far beyond the desert.
Rivalries like this rarely come down to form sheets. Still, India enter with recent wins, Pakistan with equal momentum. For all the strategy talk – spin-heavy attacks, flexible batting orders, cautious conditions in Dubai – it is often one moment that decides the course. A yorker. A misfield. A shot played a fraction too late.
Match Date & Time: Sunday, September 14, 2025
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Start Time: 08:00 PM IST | 02:30 PM GMT
Live Telecast: SonyLIV
India vs Pak live score & updates: Follow this live blog
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first.
India playing XI is expected to be spin-heavy for the conditions like it was for the UAE clash with just Bumrah as a specialist seamer. Expect slow-bowling variety through Kuldeep, Varun, Axar, and even Abhishek.
India vs Pakistan lineup features Pakistan’s usual emphasis on pace with Afridi and Faheem, but they’ve also packed in spin threats of late with Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyam Muqeem. Saim Ayub has also shown he’s capable of putting in decent work behind the ball.
The Dubai surface continues to behave sluggishly. Spinners could dominate, with an average first innings total hovering around 139. Fast bowlers have taken more wickets historically, but spinners remain more economical. Captains winning the toss have usually chosen to bowl first, and seven of the last eight India vs Pakistan T20Is have been won by the chasing side.
Expect a gripping contest if Pakistan bats first as India’s chasers have done well historically.
The weather in Dubai is expected to be cloudy and hot, with no rain interruptions.
Temperature: 24°C
Wind Speed: 22.5 km/h
Humidity: 59%
Rain Chances: Low (~20–30%)
India has dominated the T20I rivalry, including recent meetings in Dubai, where chasing teams have typically had the upper hand.
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| Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +10.483 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +4.650 |
| Oman | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4.650 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -10.483 |
| Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +4.700 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +2.595 |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.650 |
| Hong Kong | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.889 |
You can stream it live on SonyLIV or watch it on TV via Sony Sports Network.
Visit Cricbuzz, ESPNcricinfo, or follow our India vs Pak live blog right here for ball-by-ball ind vs pak updates.
India’s XI includes Gill, Samson, SKY (C), Hardik, and Bumrah. Full lineup above under “India Playing XI”.
Unlikely. Forecast suggests hot and humid conditions but no rain interruptions.
India leads 10-3 in the 13 matches played so far.
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