Probable Lineups: India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Match on Sept 14

From the start of the Asia Cup 2025, India and Pakistan have both made good impressions. India began very strongly: against UAE, they bowled the hosts out cheaply (57 all out), thanks largely to Kuldeep Yadav’s 4 for 7 and Shivam Dube’s excellent support. The chase was simple. 

Pakistan too had a confident opening. Against Oman, Mohammad Haris made a statement with 66 off 43, helping post a defendable total. The bowlers followed up: Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Faheem Ashraf each chipped in with wickets. Oman were bowled out for just 67, handing Pakistan a commanding 93-run victory.

So both look sharp. India with discipline and depth. Pakistan with aggression in batting and a varied bowling attack. But there are questions: Pakistan have skipped some big names (Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan) and are depending on newer players delivering under pressure. 

India vs Pakistan Probable 11 and Tactical Choices

Experts suggest Pakistan should field Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf together, with Faheem Ashraf as the supporting all-rounder. However, the team seems inclined to rely on spin and batting depth.

Here’s the India vs Pakistan Probable 11 for the clash on September 14, based on recent reports and expert predictions:

Team	Probable XI
India	Shubman Gill; Abhishek Sharma; Tilak Varma; Suryakumar Yadav (c); Sanju Samson (wk); Hardik Pandya; Shivam Dube; Axar Patel; Kuldeep Yadav; Jasprit Bumrah; Varun Chakaravarthy
Pakistan	Sahibzada Farhan; Saim Ayub; Fakhar Zaman; Salman Ali Agha (c); Hasan Nawaz; Mohammad Nawaz; Mohammad Haris (wk); Faheem Ashraf; Shaheen Shah Afridi; Sufiyan Muqeem; Abrar Ahmed

What Could Happen & Key Variables

• Opening overs / Powerplay: If Pakistan start with two fast bowlers (Shaheen + Rauf), they may try to trouble India’s openers (Gill, Sharma) early. India will want to avoid losing early wickets.
   
• Spin vs pace mix: Dubai pitches tend to offer some assistance to spin as game progresses (slower nature, lower bounce). So Pakistan’s spinner Abrar and India’s Kuldeep could be decisive.
   
• Bat depth & lower order hitting: India has depth (Hardik, Dube) who can turn games late. Pakistan needs contributions from middle/lower order (Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz) beyond top-order starts.
   
• Captaincy & temperament: Big matches always add pressure. Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav will need to manage their bowlers well, use timely field changes, and handle pressure in middle overs.
   
• Abhishek Sharma vs Sufiyan Muqeem: The Abhishek vs Muqeem / spin-heavy overs unknowns could produce fireworks. If Abhishek finds his rhythm, India could post a big total or chase strongly. However, past encounters show he has struggled against Sufiyan Muqeem’s spin.

Prediction & Outcome Scenarios

If everything goes right:

• The side batting first will aim for a total in the 170–200 range. If wickets don’t tumble early, they can fully exploit their batting depth to reach that mark. 
   
• Pakistan, to win, will need early breakthroughs (India’s openers) and a decent score to defend, then use spin and slower bowlers well under lights.
   
• A tight contest is likely; possibly India lean favourites given recent performance and balance. But Pakistan cannot be written off, if their pace attack gets movement or their spinners choke scoring in middle overs, they can turn it around.