"India's B team will also beat this Pakistan team"- Former India pacer makes big statement ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 clash

Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has said that India's B team were also good enough to beat the present Pakistan team. The former India bowler added that he did not miss the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He further said that he felt sorry for the selectors, who needed to try and get everyone into the mix.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is after the World Cup triumph in 2024. Wassan told CNN-News18:

"India’s B team will also beat this Pakistan team because things have changed. When we played in the 90s, they were a very good side. Now the boot is on the other foot. I will not miss Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) because then I will start missing Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev also."

"The king is dead, long live the king. Things move, new superstars come in, and this embarrassment of riches, and I feel sorry for the selectors because to keep everyone in the mix because who’s to drop and who’s to pick.”

The Men in Blue will come into the fixture after a thumping nine-wicket win over United Arab Emirates (UAE). Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube starred with the ball as the Men in Blue bowled UAE out for 57 before coasting to a nine-wicket win.

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Piyush Chawla feels India are not in a state of transition after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's retirements

Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla said that the current side had a lot of experience and did not miss the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The 36-year-old said that the present group of players knew how to handle pressure after playing high pressure tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“If you look at the current Indian team, the amount of games that they have won post the Rohit and Kohli era in T20 cricket, they are doing a wonderful job. Somebody like Arshdeep is not getting a chance in the playing XI, being in the top five of world T20 bowlers. I think this team looks really set, and you always miss these kinds of players. But this is the part and parcel of the game. One has to come and then go. We can’t even say that this team is going through a transition period, because if you see all the players in this squad, they have so much experience, and when you play a tournament like the IPL, when the standards are so high.”

“So you know how to handle the pressure. How to hold your nerves in those difficult situations. They have been through all of that, no matter when you are playing for your franchise and when you are playing for your country, because you learn from playing domestic cricket, IPL. You learn all these things from those games. So when it comes to the big stage, they know how to handle those situations. There is enough experience in this dressing room to handle these kinds of situations," Chawla said.

Chawla admitted that no matter who said what, an India-Pakistan match was never just any other match. He also hoped that the match on Sunday, September 14, was a one-sided win for the Men in Blue.