3 player battles to watch out for in India vs Pakistan, Match 6 of 2025 Asia Cup ft. Shubman Gill

India and Pakistan will face off in match six of the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup on Sunday, September 14. The much-awaited contest will take place at the Dubai International Stadium.

Both teams have kicked off their respective campaigns with dominant wins. India bundled out the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a paltry score of 57 in their inaugural game.

Suryakumar Yadav and Co. chased down the modest target in just 4.3 overs. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was adjudged the Player of the Match for his fantastic spell of 2.1-0-7-4.

They are currently the table-toppers of Group A, with two points and a net run rate of 10.483. Pakistan have two points along with a net run rate of 4.650 and are placed second.

They faced Oman in their opening clash, where they clinched a comprehensive 93-run victory by successfully defending a 161-run target. Oman were skittled for 67, going down without a fight. Pakistani keeper Mohammad Haris played a 66-run knock from 43 balls and was named the Player of the Match.

India have the upper hand over Pakistan in terms of the head-to-head in T20Is. The two sides have squared off 13 times in the format, out of which India have won 10, while Pakistan have finished on the winning side thrice.

Here, we take a look at three key matchups for the IND vs PAK 2025 Asia Cup tie:

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#1 Shubman Gill (India) vs Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

Shubman Gill has been in impressive form in T20 cricket lately. He was the Gujarat Titans' (GT) second-highest run-scorer in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), amassing 650 runs across 15 innings at a strike rate of 155.87.

The vice-captain looked in fine touch against the UAE as well. He struck one six and two fours, remaining unbeaten on 20 runs off nine deliveries.

Gill's battle with Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi could be an exciting one for the fans. It is worth noting that this will be the opening batter's maiden T20I against Pakistan.

He has played four ODIs against the Pakistan team, out of which he has been dismissed by Shaheen twice. Gill dominated the proceedings against the left-arm seamer at the 2023 Asia Cup, smashing six fours.

Shaheen bowled a tidy spell against Oman, registering figures of 4-0-20-1. This mini-battle, especially in the powerplay, is expected to be an entertaining affair.

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#2 Mohammad Haris (Pakistan) vs Kuldeep Yadav (India)

Mohammad Haris was Pakistan's top performer with the bat in their 2025 Asia Cup opener. While the swashbuckling batter notched up a half-century, he could struggle against Kuldeep Yadav.

Haris has lost his wicket to left-arm spinners six times in nine innings. Considering the same, the in-form Kuldeep could be the skipper Suryakumar Yadav's best bet against Haris.

Kuldeep ran riot against the UAE at the same venue. The onus will be on Haris to counter-attack the ace spinner in the middle overs.

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#3 Saim Ayub (Pakistan) vs Jasprit Bumrah (India)

Pakistan opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for a golden duck against Oman. He will be keen to make amends by coming up with an impactful performance.

However, star speedster Jasprit Bumrah could prove to be a thorn in his flesh. The right-arm pacer has a knack for picking up early wickets, and Suryakumar Yadav will rely on him for an early breakthrough.

Bumrah has bagged 68 wickets in the powerplay in T20 cricket. Ayub will be under pressure after the early failure. To make matters worse, he will have to counter a seasoned campaigner like Bumrah early on in the match.