Veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has expressed sympathy for Pakistan after their back-to-back defeats to India in the Asia Cup 2025. The Salman Ali Agha-led side has faced mounting pressure from its fans, and Ishant believes that constant scrutiny only intensifies during high-stakes India-Pakistan clashes. With India already sealing two convincing victories over its arch-rival, the pressure on Pakistan continues to rise.
The Asia Cup 2025, currently in its final stages in the UAE, has seen India dominate the contest. Both teams are still in contention to meet once again in the grand finale on Sunday, September 28, in Dubai. India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the group stage and followed it up with a six-wicket win in the Super Four opener, showcasing their superiority in crunch moments.
Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Ishant Sharma reflected on the contrast between the current Pakistani team and the giants of the past. He recalled the days when Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Shahid Afridi made Indo-Pak encounters fiercely competitive.
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“Pakistan already have so much pressure on them, how will they handle more from us? If you look at their matches, the fans are constantly shouting behind them from the stands. Sometimes, I genuinely feel bad for them,” Ishant Sharma said.
He further added, “The pressure is always high in India vs Pakistan matches, but it was different when they had legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar, Shoaib, Saqlain, and Afridi. Those were great players. Today, the kind of talent, exposure, and infrastructure we have in India, Pakistan are not even close.”
India’s dominance in T20Is has grown evident, with 11 wins in 15 matches against Pakistan. Pakistan, meanwhile, have won only three, with one ending in a tie. Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav recently downplayed the “rivalry” tag, pointing instead to his team’s consistent performances.
In the group match, Pakistan struggled to 127/9 before India chased it down with ease. In the Super Four clash, they improved with 171/5, but Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill’s fluent batting ensured India crossed the line comfortably.
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Pakistan, however, revived their campaign with a crucial win over Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Restricting their opponents to 133/8, they chased the target with two overs to spare, thanks to Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz. With two points and a net run rate of +0.226, they remain in contention for the final.
India leads the table with two wins and an NRR of +0.689, making them strong favourites. Pakistan now face Bangladesh in a must-win clash on September 25 in Dubai to secure their spot in what could be a third Indo-Pak showdown in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
