Tag: Asia Cup 2025

Former captain Rashid Latif has urged Pakistan to make a few changes to their playing XI for the must-win Super Four clash against Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

Both sides head into the contest under pressure after opening-round defeats. Pakistan suffered a crushing loss to arch-rivals India, while Sri Lanka were undone by a spirited Bangladesh side.

Latif, writing on his official Facebook account, proposed a new-look batting order that sees wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and youngster Hassan Nawaz opening the innings.

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This reshuffle pushes Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub down to three and four, with Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, dropped from the XI.

Farhan has scored 132 runs in four games, making him the team’s highest run-getter and third overall in the competition.

However, his modest strike rate of 101.53 has drawn criticism, and Rashid Latif believes Pakistan cannot afford a slow start in a do-or-die fixture.

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For the middle order, Latif suggested Hussain Talat at five and captain Salman Ali Agha at six, followed by Mohammad Nawaz at seven. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf was omitted.

The bowling unit, according to Latif’s plan, would feature Shaheen Afridi at eight, spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed at nine and ten, and Haris Rauf as the spearhead at eleven, offering Pakistan a mix of pace and spin options.

Rashid Latif’s Playing XI for Sri Lanka clash

Mohammad Haris (wk), Hassan Nawaz, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Salman Ali Agha (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, and Haris Rauf.

READ: Ravichandran Ashwin likely to make historic BBL debut

Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the wounded Shaheens and the wounded Lions respectively, are set to lock horns today in Abu Dhabi in what is shaping up to be a virtual knockout in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four.

Both sides arrive licking fresh wounds, Pakistan from a crushing defeat to India, and Sri Lanka from being outplayed by Bangladesh.

Another loss here will all but end the loser’s journey. Yes, a mathematical chance might still linger, but realistically, survival demands nothing less than victory.

For Pakistan, the scars of Sunday’s loss to their arch-rivals are raw. Their batting order crumbled, their self-belief dipped, and the questions around their firepower grew louder.

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Sri Lanka, too, face their own crisis of confidence after faltering against a spirited Bangladesh. Both teams are not just fighting for progression; they are battling for pride.

Pakistan are likely to bring back middle-order batter Hassan Nawaz to the Playing XI, while Sri Lanka might be considering bringing spinner Maheesh Theekshana to challenge Pakistan’s already struggling batting line-up.

Notably, Pakistan have a slight edge historically, winning 13 games, while Sri Lanka managed 10 victories.

However, Sri Lanka have won the last five T20Is against Pakistan since October 2019.

Individually, the openers from both sides are in the spotlight. Pathum Nissanka and Sahibzada Farhan are the tournament’s second and third-highest run-scorers so far, while Kusal Mendis sits fifth.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

On the bowling front, Wanindu Hasaranga looms as Pakistan’s biggest headache. His record against them is devastating: 14 wickets in just five games at an average of 9.07. Pakistan’s well-documented struggles against quality wrist spin only magnify his threat.

Abrar Ahmed offers Pakistan their own spin option, but against Sri Lanka, a side raised on turning tracks, the real damage must come from Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf with the new ball.

Then there is the matter of Pakistan’s batting order. Against India, the constant chopping and changing backfired spectacularly. T20I is often a game of controlled chaos, but there must be a method to the madness.

Without clarity and intent at the crease, Pakistan might as well start packing their bags for an early flight home.

READ: Dunith Wellalage pays tribute to late father with emotional note

Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage has shared a heartfelt message on social media following the passing of his father, Suranga Wellalage.

The former first-class cricketer passed away last week during Sri Lanka’s group-stage match against Afghanistan in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

The 22-year-old all-rounder took to Instagram and expressed his grief while extending gratitude to everyone who supported him through the tragedy.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who stood by me and my family during the most painful time of my life, after the passing of my beloved father,” Wellalage wrote.

“Losing him has left a void that can never be filled, but the love, strength, and support I received gave me the courage to keep moving forward.”

 

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A post shared by Dunith Wellalage (@dunith_08)

He especially thanked Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), his sponsors, law enforcement authorities, medical staff, as well as his former schools and clubs for standing by his family.

“My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, CDB Bank, Munchee, Moratuwa Police, Panadura Hospital, Colts Cricket Club, St. Sebastian College, St. Joseph’s College, and Prince of Wales’ College Old Boys’ Association for being there for me and my family,” he said.

He also acknowledged the guidance of former players, coaches, and national teammates, mentioning Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahinda Halangoda, and Charith Asalanka, among others.

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“A special thank you to Sanath Sir, Mahinda Halangoda Sir, and the entire national coaching staff, as well as Charith Aiya and my brothers in the Sri Lanka National Team. Your presence, kindness, and guidance meant more to me than words can ever express,” he added.

Above all, Wellalage reserved his deepest gratitude for the people of Sri Lanka. “Your prayers, messages, and unconditional support reminded me that I am never alone,” he added.

The young spinner vowed to continue chasing his cricketing dreams to fulfill his father’s wish. “My father’s dream was for me to continue this journey, and with all of you beside me, I will do everything I can to honor him,” he said.

After attending his father’s funeral, Dunith Wellalage rejoined the national squad for their Super Four fixture against Bangladesh, which Sri Lanka lost.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan reveals reason behind ‘unique celebration’ against India

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan explained his gun-fire celebration against India during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash on Sunday.

Farhan notched up his maiden half-century against arch-rivals India and celebrated it in a unique way by mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets,” a gesture that thrilled fans.

He top-scored with 58 from 45 balls, which helped Pakistan set a record total against India in T20Is.

However, it was not enough as India chased down the target in the second last overs, losing just four wickets in the process.

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Speaking in the press conference ahead of the clash against Sri Lanka, Farhan spilled the beans on his celebration and stated that he does not care what people say about it.

“You’ll see more (sixes). It was just a moment thing. Normally, I don’t celebrate much even after scoring fifties, but suddenly I felt like doing it today. I don’t care what people make of it,” he said.

The right-hander also backed the team’s approach of playing an aggressive brand of cricket against all teams.

“And as for the rest, you know, cricket should be played aggressively against all teams, not just India. Today, we played that kind of aggressive cricket, ” he continued.

He also highlighted the missing link in Pakistan’s batting line-up and expressed confidence in correcting their mistakes.

“I think what we’ve been missing in recent matches is not making the most of the powerplay and losing early wickets. That puts pressure on the rest of the batting lineup.

Apart from Fakhar’s early dismissal, we didn’t lose wickets in the powerplay, and we scored around 90 runs in the first ten overs. That was excellent. Later in the middle overs, we collapsed a bit, but Inshallah we’ll fix that too,” Sahibzada Farhan concluded.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks Abhishek Sharma’s six-hitting record

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan on Sunday broke India’s Abhishek Sharma’s record during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sahibzada top-scored for Pakistan with a 58 off 45 balls. He struck three sixes and five fours in his impressive knock.

In doing so, he surpassed Abhishek Sharma’s tally for the most T20 sixes in a calendar year. The right-hander now has 88 sixes to his name — the most by an Asian batter in a single year.

Most T20 Sixes Hit in a Calendar Year by an Asian Batter

88 – Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) in 2025 (34 inns)*

87 – Abhishek Sharma (India) in 2024 (38 inns)

85 – Suryakumar Yadav (India) in 2022 (41 inns)

82 – Mohammad Waseem (UAE) in 2024 (45 inns)

81 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) in 2024 (52 inns)

Overall, Sahibzada Farhan sits fourth on the global list of six-hitters in 2025.

Most T20 Sixes in 2025 

103 sixes – Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)  49 inns

99 sixes – Karanbir Singh (Austria)  28 inns

88 sixes – Dewald Brevis 32 inns

88 sixes – Sahibzada Farhan 34 inns

Despite Sahibzada Farhan’s record-breaking, India cruised to a comprehensive six-wicket victory, courtesy of Abhishek Sharma’s sublime knock.

He added 105 for the opening wicket with Shubman Gill in just 59 balls, leaving Pakistan bowlers deflated.

The left-hander went on to smash 74 off just 39 balls, studded with five towering sixes and six boundaries. For his outstanding knock, the southpaw was named player of the match.

READ: India-Pakistan isn’t a rivalry anymore: Suryakumar Yadav

DUBAI: Suryakumar Yadav has brushed aside the talk of rivalry between India and Pakistan after his side’s comprehensive six-wicket win in the Super Fours of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

India dominated Pakistan and secured their second win over the arch-rivals in the space of a week.

Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock was the highlight of the match which steered India to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan was the lone bright star, scoring 58 off 45 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav addressed a question regarding the India-Pakistan rivalry in the post-match press conference.

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“Standards and rivalry are the same. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1….I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore,” he told reporters.

He called the middle overs after the drinks break as the turning point of the match during Pakistan’s innings.

“According to me, the turning point was in the first drinks in the first innings. People changed their body language after that. You always see the game changes generally after the powerplay.

“But today, the game changed after ten overs, when the bowlers changed their line and lengths, understood what was needed in that situation, and showed a little more energy,” he continued.

The skipper praised Indian spinners and highlighted Shivam Dube’s spell, which turned the game on its head.

“The spinners bowled well. And according to me, Shivam Dube’s spell, you can say that it was a turning point,” he concluded.

READ: ‘Yet to play a perfect game,’ admits Salman Ali Agha after India defeat

DUBAI: The Pakistan men’s cricket team achieved a few milestones against arch-rivals India despite their defeat in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

After being invited to bat first, Pakistan’s new opening duo of Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan made a strong start, accumulating 21 runs before Fakhar was dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the third over due to a controversial call by the third umpire.

Fakhar managed to score 15 runs off just nine balls, including three boundaries.

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Farhan continued to push the pace for Pakistan, teaming up with Saim Ayub to add another 34 runs.

Consequently, Pakistan wrapped up the batting powerplay at 55/1. This score of 55 marks their highest powerplay total against India in men’s T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 54 set during the second T20I of the two-match series in Ahmedabad in 2012.

Highest Powerplay totals for Pakistan against India in T20Is

55 runs in Dubai, 2025
54 runs in Ahmedabad, 2012
53 runs in Johannesburg, 2007
44 runs in Dubai, 2022

Moreover, Pakistan also posted their highest total against India. Pakistan posted 171-5 in their allocated 20 overs.

The Men in Green surpassed their previous total of 159-8 that they made against them in 2022.

Highest T20I totals for Pakistan vs India (batting first):

171-5, Dubai 2025
159-8, Melbourne 2022
147, Dubai 2022
130-7, Mirpur 2014

Yet, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets for the second time in a week in the continental tournament.

Farhan top-scored with 58 from 45 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes, which helped Pakistan reach 171 on the board in their 20 overs.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

India eventually chased down the target on the last ball of the 19th over with Tilak Varma scoring 30 off 19 alongside Haridk Pandya, who made seven.

READ: WATCH: Sahibzada Farhan celebrates fifty with firing gun celebration

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his maiden half-century against India in a unique style during the Super Four match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Farhan reached his half-century in dominant fashion, smashing a six off Axar Patel on the third delivery of the 10th over. After reaching the milestone, he celebrated uniquely, mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets”.

The right-handed batter’s innings included five boundaries and three sixes, showcasing an aggressive and confident approach against India’s bowling attack.

Despite his knock, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets for the second time in a week in the continental tournament.

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Farhan top-scored with 58 from 45 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes, which helped Pakistan reach 171 on the board in their 20 overs.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

India eventually chased down the target on the last ball of the 19th over with Tilak Varma scoring 30 off 19 alongside Haridk Pandya, who made seven.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf picked up two wickets while Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed managed to scalp one apiece.

READ: ‘Yet to play a perfect game,’ admits Salman Ali Agha after India defeat

DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha opened up after his side’s six wicket defeat against arch-rivals India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

This was Pakistan’s second loss against India in a week, having previously beaten by seven wicket in the group stage fixtures of the continental tournament.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan was the lone-bright star, scoring 58 off 45 balls.

Speaking in the post match press-presentation, Agha said that Pakistan is yet to play at their best while mentioning that India took the game away in the powerplay.

“We are yet to play a perfect game, but we’re getting there. It was a great contest, though they really took the game away in the powerplay,” he said.

The skipper mentioned they were 10-15 runs short, particularly after the start they have got in the first 10 overs.

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“We didn’t put enough runs on the board. At 91/2 after 10 overs, we should have pushed for 10–15 more. Still, 171 is a challenging total.

“Credit to them — their powerplay batting made the difference in the end.
In T20 cricket, if your bowlers are going for runs, you have to make changes. It’s about finding the right man at the right time,” Agha explained.

Despite the defeat, he remained confident, emphasizing the players contributions as a plus point and backed Pakistan for their next game against Sri Lanka.

“There are positives for us. Fakhar and Farhan batted well, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf bowled strongly.

We’re still very much in it and looking forward to our next game against Sri Lanka,” he concluded.

READ: WATCH: Shaheen, Rauf engage in war of words with Sharma

DUBAI: Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi were involved in a heated exchange with India’s opener Abhishek Sharma during the Super Fours second match in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The incident happened during the opening ball of India’s innings when Sharma tonked Afridi for a six.

After conceding a six, Shaheen exchanged words with Abhishek during his follow-through. In reply, the soutpaw said something to Shaheen that did not sit well with him.

Later on, speedster Haris Rauf was also seen saying a few words to Abhishek Sharma.

This happened in the last over of the powerplay when Gill crunched Haris for a four and called out the pacer immediately, while Sharma at the non-striker’s end joined the sledging.

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Haris Rauf faced the Indian openers, Sharma and Gill, prompting the on-field umpires to step in and defuse the situation.

Nonetheless, India cruised to a comprehensive win in the second last over on the loss of just four wickets. Tilak Varma made 30* not out off 19 balls, while Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten on seven.

Earlier, it was Abhishek Sharma’s onslaught that set the tone for India’s easy win. He, alongside Shubman Gill, made light work of the chase with a solid opening partnership of 105 runs.

Gill made 47 from 28 with the help of eight fours, while Sharma hit five sixes and six boundaries on his way to 74 from 39 balls.

READ: India outplay Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours