Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to India's thumping win in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 match ft. R Ashwin

India completed a scintillating win over Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2025 clash on Sunday, September 14, in Dubai. The Men In Blue won comfortably by seven wickets in a one-sided contest.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. However, the Indian bowlers were on the money right from the word go. They picked up early wickets and kept chipping away. Pakistan were restricted to a mere 127/9 in the end.

As expected, it proved to be an easy chase for the Indian team. Abhishek Sharma got them off to a fiery start with a 13-ball 30 at the top. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (47*) and Tilak Varma (31) then ensured that they got over the line in 15.5 overs.

With this, they registered their second win on the bounce and consolidated their position at the top of the Group A standings.

On that note, here is a look at the top five expert reactions to the thumping triumph over Pakistan.

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#5 Virender Sehwag

Former opener Virender Sehwag reckoned that the Men In Blue could be defeated only if they played poor cricket, given their current form. He hailed the team combination and the depth of resources present within the team.

"It is tough to say what the other teams can do to defeat India. If India itself plays poorly, only then can they lose, given the form they are in. They are a great team, a great combination. There are complete batters, complete bowlers, and have 6-7 options in bowling. Other teams can only pray that India has a bad day and they have a good day, only then can they lose. Otherwise, it will be difficult to beat this team at the moment," he said on Sony Sports Network.

The Men In Blue have been dominant in limited-overs cricket in recent times. They made it to the final of the 2023 World Cup, won the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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#4 Harbhajan Singh

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh reflected that there was a huge difference between Suyakumar Yadav's team and Pakistan. He hailed them for being match-winners despite having a young team in the absence of seniors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

"There’s a huge, huge difference when we talk about the India or Pakistan team. There’s a huge difference, even though we also have a very, very young team. But even in our young team, there are a lot of match winners, someone like Abhishek, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, or Axar. You name any of those talented young guys, they can win you a game on their own on their given day," he said on Sports Today.

Further, he praised the team for playing exceptional cricket and sticking to the plans. He also added that Pakistan were clueless against the spinners while batting.

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#3 Navjot Singh Sidhu

Former opener Navjot Singh Sidhu reckoned that the Indian team was like a herd of elephants that trampled ants. He described the performance as how a lion would catch a deer and only let go of it after it was dead. Moreover, he believed that even a C team from the nation would defeat Pakistan.

"This win reflects that Indian cricket is in safe hands. The future of Indian cricket is very bright. I feel that there is so much talent, that even if an Indian C team comes, they will crush this Pakistan team. The difference is chalk and cheese. That killer instinct is finished in Pakistan," he said on his YouTube channel.

He also hailed Kuldeep Yadav, who bagged three wickets in the game and set up the win with the ball. Further, he also lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav for guiding them to a terrific victory.

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#2 Dinesh Karthik

Former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik also stated that the Men In Blue were way ahead of Pakistan. He added that such a win reflected the strength of the team and that they did not have to do anything better.

"They excelled in all three departments and it pretty much tells you how strong Indian cricket is. It was a bit of a mismatch and we are just way ahead of where Pakistan are. It is just too obvious when you play a game like this. The only thing I would say is to be ruthless about it. Don't give an inch in terms of trying to shuffle the eleven or giving rest to players. Just try and be very clinical about it," he said on Cricbuzz.

They registered their 11th victory over Pakistan in 20 Asia Cup encounters overall, including the ODI and T20I editions.

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#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin reckoned that the Men In Blue could play more matches against Sri Lanka than Pakistan. He stated that the clash against Pakistan was not the most expected, and the result reflected the same.

"Just like we have dessert after dinner, just like that India have played proper standard T20 cricket after some ice cream against Pakistan, they showed them. This is the strongest T20 team that we have put on against Pakistan. That is the way I like to look at it," he said on his YouTube channel.

Moreover, Ashwin also credited the IPL for giving the players the platform and exposure under pressure. He stated that they have developed proper and tactical batting through experience in the IPL.