DUBAI: Reigning 20-overs world champions India look overwhelming favourites to retain their Asia Cup title but Pakistan head into the tournament, beginning on Tuesday, with a spring in their step after their victory in a tri-series tournament with Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan thumped Afghanistan by 75 runs on a tricky pitch in Sunday’s final in Sharjah, with Mohammad Nawaz claiming a hat-trick in a career-best five-wicket haul, and coach Mike Hesson believes it will serve as a “confidence builder” for the Asia Cup.
“We have beaten Afghanistan in conditions that suited their spin attack, which was a real confidence builder,” said Hesson, who was only appointed white-ball coach in May, on Monday. “Heading into the Asia Cup this was also very important for us.”
Since Hesson took over, Pakistan have white-washed Bangladesh 3-0 at home and then lost to the same opponents 2-1 in an away series.
Pakistan also won 2-1 against the West Indies in Florida before losing just once, to the Afghans, in five tri-series matches.
“An eight-team Asia Cup is great for Asian cricket and it’s a true test, it expands the game in the region, and it allows us to see players we don’t face often.”
The 17th edition of the Asia Cup will kick off with a Group ‘B’ match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Six-time Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the other teams in the group.
Afghanistan might have lost to Pakistan on Sunday but skipper Rashid Khan counts their familiarity with conditions as a major gain.
“It’s important for us to learn from these conditions ahead of the Asia Cup,” Rashid, who will lead Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack, said.
“Over the last eight-nine months, we haven’t played much T20 cricket together and a series like this gives us positive energy. I think it’s going to be a great and exciting Asia Cup for us.”
Eight-time champions and title holders India, Pakistan, Oman and the UAE are in Group ‘A’.
India open their campaign with a match against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday before their high-profile clash with Pakistan at the same venue on Sunday.
Pakistan have been relying on a fleet of all-rounders after ignoring their two stalwarts Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan since December 2024 in the shortest format.
Under Hesson, Pakistan have played a majority of their T20 games with only three specialist bowlers, using four all-rounders to bowl out the remaining overs. Hesson’s template worked against Afghanistan but whether it works against the likes of India remains to be seen.
“Our pool is challenging with Oman, UAE and India, so we need to adapt quickly. The key is not to get distracted by external pressures,” said Hesson.
The tournament, which concludes on Sept 28, had looked in limbo after four days of intense military conflict, their worst since 1999, between tournament hosts India and bitter neighbours Pakistan in May this year.
It was subsequently moved to the United Arab Emirates but the geopolitical undercurrents were palpable with several former India cricketers demanding a boycott of matches against Pakistan.
With New Delhi backing the Indian cricket board’s stance of playing Pakistan in multi-team events only, the Asian Cricket Council, which organises the Asia Cup, is confident its flagship tournament would prove a success.
India and Pakistan last met in cricket, again in Dubai, in February in the 50-over Champions Trophy, with India winning by six wickets and going on to lift the title.
The two Asian cricketing giants could potentially meet three times in the tournament. The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round, followed by the final in Dubai
India are also defending Asia Cup champions and led by Suryakumar Yadav are clear favourites against their old foes with a 10-3 win record against Pakistan in T20 Internationals.
With an eye on the T20 World Cup next year, India gave an indication of how seriously they view the tournament when they picked pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
The 31-year-old is played sparingly to manage his all-format workload and India will hope to benefit from the wily seamer’s craft both in the powerplay and the death overs.
Test captain Shubman Gill has been recalled to reinforce a batting lineup teeming with serious power-hitters like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, currently the top-two T20 batters in official rankings, as well as skipper Suryakumar.
With the slow wickets likely to suit spinners, India have plenty of options with Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav keen to exploit the conditions.
Afghanistan too have plenty of spin options.
Led by Rashid, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket, Afghanistan also have experienced off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad and rookie AM Ghazanfar to challenge batters of any opposition on spin-friendly wickets.
Under Litton Das, a new-look Bangladesh will be itching to prove their mettle having lost the likes of stalwarts Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal to retirement.
Despite losing to Bangladesh in the recent bilateral T20 series, Sri Lanka come into the tournament with opening batter Pathum Nissanka in good form at the top of the order.
Wanindu Hasaranga, who injured a hamstring against Bangladesh, has regained fitness and will team up with Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage to boost the spin options.
For UAE, Oman and Hong Kong — who secured their spots by finishing in the top three of the ACC men’s Premier Cup, this is a tournament of reckoning and to showcase how far they have come in the past few years with improved infrastructure and better quality of expats from India and Pakistan representing them.
Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025
