Dubai: Cricket fans are in for a thriller on Thursday night as Pakistan and Bangladesh lock horns in a do-or-die Super Four encounter of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The winner punches their ticket to the final, while the loser will be left licking wounds and wondering what went wrong. The stakes could hardly be higher.
Pakistan arrive on a rollercoaster ride of a campaign, having stumbled against India before bouncing back with a gutsy win over Sri Lanka. Fakhar Zaman, known for his ability to explode at the top of the order, must find his rhythm early, and Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan’s most reliable scorer so far, will need to anchor the innings.
The real threat, however, lies in the bowling. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, both capable of blowing the top order apart with raw pace, will be backed by spin wizards Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed, who can strangle scoring in the middle overs and turn the match on its head.
Bangladesh, disciplined and razor-sharp, will depend on Saif Hassan, Litton Das, and Towhid Hridoy to lay a solid foundation. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman carry the responsibility of keeping Pakistan’s batsmen in check, while Jaker Ali could light up the later overs if the pressure mounts. The Tigers have a spring in their step after a recent T20 series victory over Pakistan and will be looking to pull off another shock.
Dubai’s pitch offers movement for the pacers early on, while strokemakers find more freedom as the night progresses. Toss and dew could tilt the balance, with chasing sides historically enjoying a slight edge. Clear skies and sticky humidity are expected, ensuring the conditions stay fair but challenging.
Head-to-head records slightly favour Pakistan, who have won three of the last five T20 clashes against Bangladesh. Yet, the drama lies in the details—one dropped catch, one misread delivery, and the script could flip instantly.
Pakistan are expected to line up Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed.
Bangladesh’s predicted XI includes Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman.
