Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has stirred the build-up to the Asia Cup T20I by declaring that his team will beat India in the tournament.
The competition, featuring eight teams, will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.
Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, Oman, and the UAE. They begin their campaign on September 12 against Oman in Dubai, before facing arch-rivals India on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
In a video circulating on social media, Rauf was heard saying confidently, “Dono apne hai, Inshallah (Both matches are ours, God willing).”
The remark adds further spice to the India-Pakistan rivalry, one of cricket’s most watched contests, where matches often draw global attention beyond the sport itself. The rivalry between the two sides has historically been intense, with matches often decided by fine margins and followed by millions of fans across the world.
Across Asia Cup history, both teams have faced each other 18 times. India lead the overall record with 10 wins, Pakistan have six, while two matches ended without result. In the T20 format of the Asia Cup, India have won two matches, with Pakistan taking one.
With India holding the upper hand both in Asia Cup history and in overall T20 internationals, they will look to maintain their edge.
For the Asia Cup, Salman Agha has been named captain, while senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped. The pace attack will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, supported by Rauf, Mohammad Waseem Jr., and Salman Mirza. The spin department includes Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will face Pakistan in what is expected to be the marquee fixture of the group stage.
India Squad ofr Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
The competition, featuring eight teams, will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.
Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, Oman, and the UAE. They begin their campaign on September 12 against Oman in Dubai, before facing arch-rivals India on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
In a video circulating on social media, Rauf was heard saying confidently, “Dono apne hai, Inshallah (Both matches are ours, God willing).”
Haris Rauf on Pakistan vs India. 🇵🇰🔥 pic.twitter.com/1nywqFxGou
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 24, 2025
The remark adds further spice to the India-Pakistan rivalry, one of cricket’s most watched contests, where matches often draw global attention beyond the sport itself. The rivalry between the two sides has historically been intense, with matches often decided by fine margins and followed by millions of fans across the world.
Across Asia Cup history, both teams have faced each other 18 times. India lead the overall record with 10 wins, Pakistan have six, while two matches ended without result. In the T20 format of the Asia Cup, India have won two matches, with Pakistan taking one.
With India holding the upper hand both in Asia Cup history and in overall T20 internationals, they will look to maintain their edge.
For the Asia Cup, Salman Agha has been named captain, while senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped. The pace attack will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, supported by Rauf, Mohammad Waseem Jr., and Salman Mirza. The spin department includes Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will face Pakistan in what is expected to be the marquee fixture of the group stage.
India Squad ofr Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
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