Team India started their campaign in the Asia Cup 2025 with a spectacular nine-wicket win against the United Arab Emirates on September 10. This performance has given confidence to the team, but some aspects have raised concerns ahead of the match against Pakistan on September 14. This match will be played under great pressure and expectations like every time, in such a situation, even small weaknesses can have a big impact.
First of all, talking about the Indian fast bowlers, their role will be important this time. While Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets against the UAE and Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy bowled tightly, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah could take only one wicket.
Together, they conceded 29 runs in four overs. Pakistan's batting is much stronger than the UAE's, and they can come with better preparation against spin. In such a situation, relying only on spin can prove to be risky. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif may have commented positively on India's strength and bowling, but Pakistan's batting looks capable of facing this challenge.
The second issue is the absence of Arshdeep Singh. He has been one of India's most successful wicket-takers in T20 Internationals, yet he was not given a chance in the first match. The team management adopted a spin-heavy strategy against the UAE and was successful in it, but this decision left out an experienced fast bowler. If the pitch does not help the spinners much against Pakistan, then Arshdeep's absence may be felt even more, especially in the death overs, where experience and control are needed.
The third important thing is related to the conditions outside the field. The match between India and Pakistan is always played with extra pressure, but this time, recent events, such as the Pahalgam terrorist attack and "Operation Sindoor", have increased the tension further. These circumstances have further deepened the mental pressure on the players, and this can affect their performance.
Overall, India have started with a win against UAE, but questions remain about the sharpness of fast bowling, team combination and external conditions when facing Pakistan.
