Pakistan’s squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 has arrived in Abu Dhabi for their crucial Super Four match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for September 22. Abu Dhabi is a nearly two-hour drive from Dubai, where the team is based, and the squad will return to their hotel in Dubai Marina after the match. The players are taking a full day of rest today to ensure they are completely recharged and ready for this high-stakes encounter.
This upcoming Super Four fixture is vital for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka to push for final qualification, as both teams suffered defeats in their respective opening matches. Sri Lanka lost to Bangladesh by four wickets on Saturday, while Pakistan was defeated by six wickets against fierce rivals India the following day. Pakistan is at the bottom of the Super Four standings due to an inferior net run rate (NRR) compared to third-placed Sri Lanka. In contrast, the 2016 champions, India, are at the top due to a superior NRR over Bangladesh, with both teams having two points from one match.
Qualification Scenarios
Pakistan remains in contention for the Asia Cup 2025 final, but their path is uncertain and could depend heavily on their net run rate. Even two wins from their remaining fixtures may not be enough, while in some scenarios, a single victory could suffice.
- If India wins all three Super Four matches, and Pakistan defeats Bangladesh but loses to Sri Lanka, then India advances with three wins. The other teams would finish level with one win each, leaving the second finalist to be decided by NRR.
- Another possibility is that Pakistan beats both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, India defeats Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh upsets India. In that case, three teams would end with two wins apiece, again pushing qualification to NRR.
- The most straightforward path to the final is if both Pakistan and India win all of their remaining fixtures. This would result in India having three wins, Pakistan two, Bangladesh one, and Sri Lanka none, securing their spots in the final on September 26.
Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup 2025:
Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
