India vs Pakistan, 6th Match, Group A – Live Cricket
The first request was not a question at all.
“Ryan, can you come closer to the mic please?”
Ryan ten Doeschate leaned in, shifting slightly under the glare of a press room fuller and noisier than usual. The assistant coach of India’s cricket team, a former allrounder from the Netherlands better known for his cricket than for grand pronouncements, must have known this press conference would not be about combinations and tactics.
On the eve of India’s Asia Cup clash with Pakistan, he was confronted with questions that swirled far beyond the boundary rope: Would players be carrying the sentiments of the public back home? Had India prepared differently for Pakistan? How was this match different from other India-Pakistan games?
The answers hardly mattered. What mattered was the reminder that India vs Pakistan is never just about cricket.
Ten doeschate said what he could. Yes, the players felt compassion, but they would put it aside. No, preparations had not been any different. No illusions about being favourites either.
That was enough to capture the essence: this contest pulls everyone in. Players, coaches, administrators, governments, and in this case, even a city like Dubai at the peak of its summer. Whether the cricket in the middle can match that intensity, though, is not a guarantee.
India are a far stronger side at the moment: across formats, across conditions. Especially in T20Is, where they have finally committed to batting freely and going hard at any cost. Pakistan, under Mike Hesson, are trying to head in that direction, but the gulf could still show. That said, two of Pakistan’s three wins against India in T20Is have come in Dubai.
Pakistan arrive after winning a tri-series, though they lived dangerously at times, scraping through tight finishes and even needing a hat-trick in the final to save a modest target. Their Asia Cup opener against Oman was more straightforward, but questions linger around their batting. India, meanwhile, warmed up by steamrolling UAE, their top order finding rhythm and their spinners looking in sync. With Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy in the lineup, they have options to match Mohammad Nawaz, whom Hesson recently called the “best spinner in the world.”
For ten Doeschate, a buzzing press room was enough to feel the weight of the rivalry. For the players, that weight will arrive in full under the floodlights: the noise, the pressure and the knowledge that every delivery in an India-Pakistan game starts well before it leaves the bowler’s hand.
When: Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM local time / 8:00 PM IST
Where: Dubai International Stadium
What to expect: One of the center pitches on the square is being readied for this match. The pitch, as Shivam Dube reckoned after the UAE match, could again be on the slower side, with spinners expected to have more say as the tournament wears on. It’s supposed to be a kinder day heat wise, with high temperatures of 39 degrees expected. Dew could still be a factor later in the night, so expect the captain winning the toss to chase.
Team news
India: Ryan ten Doeschate reckoned that India didn’t gain “too much information” from their first Asia Cup outing but seemed to suggest that the combinations are likely to stick. That could mean Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube in the middle-order once nire, no Arshdeep Singh, and more game time together for Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Injuries/unavailability: Shubman Gill was hit in the nets during the optional session on match eve but the Indian vice-captain resumed his batting after a brief timeout and looked alright.
Tactics & matchups: Sanju Samson in the middle order hasn’t quite worked before. In T20Is since 2021, Samson has averaged 24 and struck at 139 when batting No.4 or below. His corresponding numbers while batting in the top-three are roughly 37 and 148 respectively.
Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
Pakistan: Salman Agha’s side is also likely to go in unchanged after their convincing victory in the opening match.
Injuries/unavailability: The entire squad is available to pick from.
Tactics & matchups: Mohammad Nawaz, who was the Player of the Series in each of Pakistan’s last two T20I series wins, will be key with the ball. He has averaged under 15 and conceded at under seven an over in each of the four series he’s featured in, in 2025.
Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed
Did you know?
– Since July 2024, India’s batters have the best strike-rate, average, boundary% and balls/six against spin among players of Full Member nations
– Since last year’s T20 World Cup, Shaheen Afridi has averaged over 51 with the ball inside the powerplay
– Mohammad Nawaz was Player of the Series in each of Pakistan’s last two T20I series wins
What they said:
“We’re aware of people’s feelings, at the same time we’ve got to go out, and the guys get a chance to play for their country, and they’ll be as professional and focused as they can be given the circumstance.” – Ryan ten Doeschate
“We are not just looking forward to the Pakistan-India match, but we are looking forward to winning the tournament.” – Saim Ayub
