Fours

Who: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
What: T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours
When: Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30pm (14:30 GMT)
Where: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have live build-up from 11:00 GMT ahead of our comprehensive text commentary stream of the match.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet in their Super Fours match at the T20 Asia Cup 2025 knowing that a loss in Abu Dhabi could jeopardise their place in the tournament.

Both former champions have lost their opening games in the second phase of the regional competition, and the match on Tuesday will offer them a chance to revive their campaign for the final.

The top two teams from the round-robin style Super Fours will qualify for the final in Dubai on Sunday.

Bangladesh and India, the other Super Fours teams, each have two points on the board after their respective wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Six-time winners Sri Lanka were edged by the Tigers by four wickets in a closely fought match on Saturday, while Pakistan were handed a second defeat in eight days at the hands of India on Sunday.

Charith Asalanka’s team were unbeaten in Group B and will start as favourites against Pakistan, whom they have beaten in their last five T20 international (T20I) meetings.

For two-time champions Pakistan, the match will offer a chance to restore some pride after their two heavy losses against archrivals India.

Players to watch: Pakistan

• Fakhar Zaman: The veteran batter has made a return to the team after a long, injury-forced layoff. And while he hasn’t posted big scores on a consistent basis, Zaman is known to demoralise opposition bowlers once he gets in the flow. The longer the opener stays at the crease, the better Pakistan’s chances of posting a big target or chasing one down.
• Abrar Ahmed: The bespectacled leg-spinner has been Pakistan’s most economical bowler in the tournament despite picking up only four wickets in his four Asia Cup games so far. His tight spells often force opposition batters to attack the other bowlers and lose wickets at the other end, making Abrar a key figure in Pakistan’s lineup.

Players to watch: Sri Lanka

• Pathum Nissanka: The Sri Lankan opener is enjoying an exceptional run of form and has scored a minimum of 30 runs in 16 of his last 25 innings in T20Is at a strike rate of 124. At the Asia Cup 2025, Nissanka is second on the run-scoring charts with 146 runs in four matches, 27 runs behind India’s exceptional batter Abhishek Sharma.
• Wanindu Hasaranga: Hasaranga’s place in the Sri Lankan side has been blighted by frequent injuries, but the leg-spin bowling all-rounder remains a key member of the team. He has taken five wickets in five Asia Cup 2025 matches at an economy rate of under six. Hasaranga enjoys playing against Pakistan and has taken 14 wickets and scored 61 runs in his five matches against the 2012 Asian champions.

Super Fours points table and qualification scenario

India sit on top of the Super Fours table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.689, followed by Bangladesh, who have the same number of points but an NRR of 0.121.

The winner of Tuesday’s match could rank anywhere from first to third, based on their NRR, and the losing team, while still not out, must win their last match by a big margin and hope the other results go their way.

Points Table 📊

The Super 4️⃣s are off to a thrilling start, with 🇮🇳 & 🇧🇩 recording important wins in their respective rivalry clashes and occupy top spots.#DPWorldAsiaCup2025 #ACC pic.twitter.com/eRw9yRHzco

— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 22, 2025

Head-to-head: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in T20Is

While Pakistan lead Sri Lanka in their overall T20I results, the Lions have been the dominant team in the format in the past six years.

Pakistan have beaten Sri Lanka 13 out of 23 times, but their last T20I win against the Lions came in 2019.

Form guide: Pakistan

Pakistan have blown hot and cold in the T20 Asia Cup, having won against lower-ranked teams Oman and the UAE while losing both their matches against defending champions India.

As always, it is difficult to predict which Pakistan team – hot or cold – will turn up on match day.

Last five results (most recent first): L W L W W

Form guide: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka beat all three of their Group B opponents prior to the Super Fours loss against Bangladesh, but have had a mixed bag of results in T20Is in 2025. They beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their bilateral series but lost 2-1 to Bangladesh a few weeks earlier.

Last five results (most recent first): L W W W W

Team news: Pakistan

Pakistan have, predictably, made a few changes to their playing XIs over the course of the tournament, and not all of them have paid off.

Belligerent batter Hasan Nawaz’s exclusion from the team that faced India on Sunday was met with criticism, especially as the player replacing him – Hussain Talat – did not improve on Nawaz’s performances.

Salman Agha’s team have also switched between playing two spinners and pace bowlers.

Nawaz and spinner Sufiyan Muqeem could return against Sri Lanka.

Predicted XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Hasan Nawaz/Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi/Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem

Team news: Sri Lanka

Lower-order batter Kamil Mishara’s spot in the playing XI will be under scrutiny, given his low strike rate and scores in the last three matches. Janith Liyanage could replace Mishara on Tuesday.

Predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Kamil Mishara/Janith Liyanage, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (captain), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Abhishek’s innings helps India chase 172 with seven balls to spare in their Super Fours cricket match against Pakistan in Dubai.

A 105-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill helped defending champions India beat Pakistan by six wickets in their Asia Cup Super Four match, a second victory over their archrivals in the Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Put in to bat first in the match on Sunday, Pakistan set India a target of 172, which they reached with seven balls remaining.

There was no handshake between the teams’ players yet again, with the match played amid lingering tensions between the two nations in the wake of a military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

There was clear tension between both sets of players it threatened to bubble over in India’s innings as Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf appeared to exchage heated words with Sharma and Gill.

Put in to bat first, Pakistan had a 72-run partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub for the second wicket that laid the foundation for its innings after Fakhar Zaman (15) fell early.

Farhan, who was dropped in the first over by Sharma, completed his half-century in 34 balls, steering Pakistan to 91-1 after 10 overs.

But Pakistan could not hit a single boundary in the next six overs as Ayub (21), Hussain Talat (10) and Farhan (58 off 45) got out in quick succession.

Unbeaten knocks from captain Salman Ali Agha (17 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (20 off 8) added 42 runs in the last three overs to help Pakistan reach a competitive 171-5.

Sharma announced his intentions by hitting Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six on the first ball, and hit four boundaries and four sixes to complete his half-century in 24 balls.

India seemed to be cruising to a quick victory until Gill (47 off 28) was bowled by Faheem Ashraf in the 10th over.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav fell to Haris Rauf (2-26) for a duck in the very next over, and Sharma (74 off 39) was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed soon after, temporarily throttling India’s chase.

But India, who beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the group stage, still got over the line, with Tilak Varma (30 off 19) hitting Afridi for a six and a four in the final two balls of the innings.

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on Tuesday, with both sides looking for their first win in the Super Four, a day before India play Bangladesh, who beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup opens with Bangladesh beating Sri Lanka by four wickets in Dubai.

Attacking half-centuries from Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy helped Bangladesh stun Sri Lanka by four wickets in the opening Super Four match at the Asia Cup.

Hassan scored 61 runs off 45 balls, with two fours and four sixes, and Hridoy hit 58 off 37 with two sixes, as Bangladesh won with a ball to spare after a dramatic final over on Saturday.

With five runs needed off the last six balls, Jaker Ali hit Dasun Shanaka for a first-ball four, and then was bowled. Shanaka then sent back Mahedi Hasan for a two-ball duck.

On the penultimate delivery, Nasum Ahmed and Shamim Hossain, 14 not out off 12, ran hard to end Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run.

Bangladesh finished with 169-6 for its third-highest successful chase in Twenty20s.

Earlier, Shanaka’s 64 not out off 37 balls helped power Sri Lanka to 168-7.

India and Pakistan face off in the next Super Four game on Sunday — their second clash in the tournament after the controversial no-handshakes group match.

Despite a quick opening stand between Pathum Nissanka (22) and Kusal Mendis (34), Sri Lanka was reduced to 65-3 in 9.1 overs after Mahedi Hasan struck twice.

Shanaka then took charge and scored 50 off 30 balls, including two fours and five sixes. He hit six sixes in all, and put up 57 off 27 balls with Charith Asalanka for the fifth wicket.

In the 19th over, Asalanka was dropped and then run out off the same delivery in his 21 off 12 balls. Shanaka, also dropped, stayed unbeaten till the end.

Vital momentum was lost in the over by the run out and Mustafizur Rahman two wickets.

Tanzid Hasan was bowled for a two-ball duck, but it did not deter his partner, who counterattacked Sri Lanka. Bangladesh skipper Litton Das (23) shared 59 off 34 balls for the second wicket.

Bangladesh was 59-1 in the powerplay with Saif Hassan leading. He reached 50 off 36 balls.

Hassan and Hridoy combined for 54 as Bangladesh’s chase gained momentum.

Hridoy guided the chase towards the finish line with 50 off 31 balls. He was trapped in the 19th over by Dushmantha Chameera, but Shamin Hossain helped to finish off the game despite the final over drama.

It was Bangladesh’s first successful 160-plus chase in 16 attempts — the previous instance was in March 2024, also against Sri Lanka.

Who: India vs Pakistan
What: T20 Asia Cup Super Fours
When: Sunday, September 21 at 14:30 GMT
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 09:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

It will be a case of “here we go again” as bitter rivals India and Pakistan meet on the cricket field for the second time in eight days at the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.

The stakes will be higher this time as their clash on Sunday takes place in the Super Fours stage, and the winning side will take one step closer to the final, while the losers will move further away from the tournament decider.

India will start as favourites for multiple reasons, not least their seven-wicket thrashing of Pakistan in their Group A match on September 14.

In addition to their status as the ICC’s top-ranked men’s T20 team, Suryakumar Yadav’s side are the tournament’s defending champions and the reigning T20 champions.

For Pakistan, a lot more than two points will be on the line as they will look to put aside not only the embarrassing defeat but also events that transpired following their thumping loss, as India’s players walked off the field without partaking in the customary post-match handshake.

Here’s what you need to know about the match:

What happened in the last India vs Pakistan match?

India stamped their authority on the match with the first ball, as Pakistan’s opener Saim Ayub Ayub was caught out at point off Hardik Pandya’s bowling and wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris followed suit in the next over as India’s star bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck.

It wasn’t until Shaheen Shah Afridi and leg-spin bowler Sufiyan Muqeem hit four fours and two sixes that Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark in their 19th over and finished at 128.

The target was never going to be enough for a power-packed Indian batting lineup, and opener Abhishek Sharma took the match away from Pakistan with his belligerent innings of 31 runs off 13 balls.

Yadav followed suit with 47 runs off 37 balls as India won their second match of the tournament.

India walked away with two points and walked off without shaking hands with the Pakistan team, as is the norm after every cricket match.

What happened after the match?

Yadav walked off the field alongside his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.

Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.

However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

Why did India’s players not shake hands with the Pakistani team?

“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” India’s captain Yadav said when asked to clarify his team’s actions.

“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.”

Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.

How did Pakistan respond?

Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Pycroft, who is an ICC accredited match referee.

Additionally, Pakistan captain Agha did not speak at the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster, in a mark of protest.

Three days later, Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest, causing a delayed start to their match against the UAE.

Why is India ‘hosting’ the Asia Cup in the UAE?

India was slated to host the tournament as per the hosting rights schedule, and while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the official host of the tournament, it is being played in the UAE due to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

What’s the weather forecast for India vs Pakistan in Dubai?

The weather forecast for Sunday is hot and humid, with highs of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) and partial cloud cover.

It will get slightly cooler in the evening as the match will start just after sunset, and the temperature will drop to 31C (88F).

How many times has Pakistan won the Asia Cup?

Pakistan have lifted the trophy on two occasions – in 2000 and 2012 – and qualified for the final five times.

India are seven-time Asia Cup champions, with 11 appearances in the final.

How many times has India beaten Pakistan in the Asia Cup?

In their 20 clashes in the Asia Cup, India have beaten Pakistan 11 times and lost to their neighbours on six occasions. Three matches, including the group-stage match in 2023, were abandoned due to poor weather.

When was the last time Pakistan beat India?

Pakistan’s last Asia Cup win over India came in the 2022 edition in the UAE. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 71 runs in the Super Four clash, but it was Mohammad Nawaz’s 20-ball-41 that took Pakistan over the line in the run chase.

India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head in T20Is

Since the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, the countries have met in 14 T20Is. India has won 11 times, including the first match in 2007, which was tied and then decided in a Super Over.

Two of Pakistan’s three wins came in Dubai.

Players to watch: India

• Abhishek Sharma: The fact that the young top-order batter has managed to carve a spot in a highly competitive T20 Indian batting lineup is enough to mark Sharma as one to watch in the Asia Cup. The 24-year-old boasts the highest career strike rate of 198 among all batters in T20s and backs it up with two centuries and half-centuries in the format.
• Varun Chakaravarthy: The 34-year-old leg-spin bowler’s second foray into the Indian side has reaped him big rewards as he has taken 35 wickets in 20 T20I matches.

Players to watch: Pakistan

• Hasan Nawaz: Pakistan have often been criticised for their batters’ inability to match modern-day T20 batting strike rates, but in Nawaz, they seem to have found a solution to this problem. The 23-year-old has a strike rate of 174, with a T20 hundred and two fifties in his 16 matches.
• Sufiyan Muqeem: The left-arm wrist spinner has taken 27 wickets in his 19 T20Is since making his debut less than two years ago and has become a mainstay of the bowling lineup in limited-overs cricket.

Form guide: India

India are unbeaten in the Asia Cup and have not lost a T20 series since winning the World Cup in June 2024.

Last five results (most recent first): W-W-W-W-W

Form guide: Pakistan

Pakistan’s form in T20s has been mixed of late and but they head into the marquee clash with a series win in the bag.

Last five results (most recent first): W-L-W-W-L

Team news: India

After resting a couple of their star bowlers in the game against Oman, the holders are expected to go back to the same team that beat Pakistan in the group stage.

Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

Team news: Pakistan

Despite the loss on Sunday, Pakistan are expected to field the same XI and will hope the result goes their way this time.

Predicted XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Where can I buy tickets for India vs Pakistan?

A selection of seats, starting at $95 apiece for the general stand and going up to $8,767 for a four-person hospitality box, is still available on the tournament’s official ticketing website, Platinumlist, and at the stadium’s ticketing office.