Asia Cup 2025 / India-Pakistan fourth clash in Dubai, who has the upper hand before Asia Cup?

Asia Cup 2025: The countdown to Asia Cup 2025 has begun, and now less than a month is left. The tournament will begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9, and the champion will be decided between 8 teams on September 28. This is the second time that UAE is hosting the Asia Cup consecutively, before this in 2022 also this tournament was played here in T20 format. But whatever the format and venue, cricket fans have their eyes set on only one thing—the clash between India and Pakistan. This time in the tournament, these two teams can face each other a maximum of three times. The question is who will have the upper hand this time?

India-Pakistan battle: The clash will take place in Dubai

The first match between India and Pakistan will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on September 14. Like every time, this time also both the teams are in Group A, which means that the clash in the group stage is certain. Apart from this, their face-off in the Super-4 round is also almost certain, provided teams like UAE or Oman do not make any major upset. If both the teams finish first or second in the Super-4, then they can also clash in the final.

So far 3 T20 matches have been played between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium, out of which 2 have been won by Pakistan and 1 by India. In the 2022 Asia Cup, both the teams clashed twice on this ground, and both won one match each. But in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Pakistan created history by defeating India, when it defeated India for the first time in a World Cup. India could not reach the final in that tournament, and the same story remained in the 2022 Asia Cup.

Current form: India's dominance, Pakistan's ups and downs

If we talk about the current form, then the Indian team seems to have the upper hand. Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav and coaching of Gautam Gambhir, this team has been in great form in the last one year. Apart from winning the T20 World Cup 2024, India has defeated strong teams like Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia and England. On the other hand, Pakistan's performance has been full of ups and downs. There has been a lack of consistency in their batting and bowling, which can become a challenge for them in big tournaments.

Will UAE's history go against India?

Pakistan's record in Dubai has been better against India, and this could be a matter of concern for the Indian team. But given the strength of the current Indian team, the old records may not matter much. India has performed brilliantly in different situations in the last one year. Suryakumar Yadav's aggressive captaincy, the enthusiasm of the young players, and the support of experienced players make this team a strong contender for the title.