India vs Pakistan, 14th Match Asia Cup 2025

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium offers a balanced surface, keeping both batters and bowlers in the contest. New-ball pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi can extract bounce and swing under lights, making the powerplay tricky for openers. As the match progresses, spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav and Abrar Ahmed will be key in the middle overs to control run flow and pick crucial wickets.

Batting generally becomes easier with the dew factor in the second half, which makes chasing the preferred strategy at this venue.

• Average 1st Innings Score (ODIs): 260–280 runs
• Pitch Nature: Balanced – helps seamers initially, but rewards batters who settle in.
• Pace vs Spin: Pacers strike early and in death overs; spinners dominate middle overs.
• Weather: Hot and dry 🌤 around 33–35°C with clear skies. No rain expected. Dew likely in the evening session.
• 📌 Toss Impact: Captains usually prefer to bowl first in Dubai, exploiting early seam movement and dew advantage while chasing.

🔑 Key Player Matchups

• Shubman Gill vs Shaheen Afridi – A high-stakes powerplay battle. Shaheen’s swing and pace will test Gill’s technique and patience early on.
• Suryakumar Yadav vs Abrar Ahmed – SKY’s 360° stroke play against Abrar’s mystery spin could shape the middle overs.
• Fakhar Zaman vs Kuldeep Yadav – Fakhar’s aggressive approach will be tested against Kuldeep’s variations in the middle phase.
• Mohammad Haris vs Jasprit Bumrah – Haris’ attacking intent at the death may clash with Bumrah’s yorkers and slower balls.

🌟 Impact Players

India (IND):

• Shubman Gill – India’s anchor at the top, capable of converting starts into match-defining knocks.
• Suryakumar Yadav – Captain and explosive batter, key to accelerating in middle overs.
• Jasprit Bumrah – Death-over specialist who can swing the momentum with crucial breakthroughs.

Pakistan (PAK):

• Shaheen Afridi – Strike bowler, lethal with the new ball and a game-changer under lights.
• Fakhar Zaman – Aggressive left-hander who can dominate if he gets going early.
• Abrar Ahmed – Mystery spinner who could unsettle India’s middle order on Dubai’s surface.

📌 Must-Have Picks:

• Shubman Gill (IND) – Reliable top-order batter; can anchor the innings and convert starts into big scores.
• Suryakumar Yadav (IND) – Explosive captain; perfect for middle-overs acceleration and a fantasy game-changer.
• Jasprit Bumrah (IND) – World-class pacer; consistent wicket-taker in powerplay and death overs.
• Shaheen Afridi (PAK) – Pakistan’s spearhead; lethal in the first 10 overs and can dent India’s top order.
• Fakhar Zaman (PAK) – Aggressive left-hander; capable of turning the game with a quickfire knock.
• Abrar Ahmed (PAK) – Mystery spinner; wicket-taking threat against India’s stroke makers.

👑 Captaincy Choices:

• Captain: Suryakumar Yadav / Shubman Gill
• Vice-Captain: Shaheen Afridi / Jasprit Bumrah

📌 Tips Based on Dubai Conditions:

• Dew factor favors top-order batters like Gill and Fakhar, making them strong picks if their team is chasing.
• Spinners (Kuldeep Yadav, Abrar Ahmed) will be crucial in the middle overs – prioritize them in fantasy lineups.
• All-rounders like Hardik Pandya can provide balance with both bat and ball, offering valuable extra points.
• In grand leagues, going with a bowler captain (Shaheen or Bumrah) could provide a differential edge.