The Asia Cup 2025 is generating immense excitement, especially with the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. While India is considered a strong team, former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal believes Pakistan has the potential to surprise.

Akmal acknowledged India's strength on paper, recognizing them as a leading team in ICC events. However, he emphasized that the outcome of an India-Pakistan match hinges on performance on the day. Despite India's apparent advantage, Akmal is betting on Pakistan to emerge victorious.

Echoing this sentiment, astrologer Greenstone Lobo suggested that predicting winners in smaller tournaments like the Asia Cup is more complex than forecasting World Cups due to the influence of captains' horoscopes. While India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, are favorites, Lobo highlights Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha as a strong contender, potentially making the Asia Cup a challenge for India.

Suryakumar Yadav affirmed that his team would approach the tournament with an aggressive mindset. He stated that aggression is integral to the game and that India is prepared to play on the front foot.

Aakash Chopra anticipates that India will field the same winning combination against Pakistan as they did in their match against the UAE. This indicates a strong belief in the chosen team composition and strategy. The predicted XI includes Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav.

The India-Pakistan rivalry transcends the sport itself. These encounters are laden with history and evoke intense emotions, making predictions particularly challenging. While India holds the top spot in the ICC T20I rankings, Pakistan possesses the ability to spring surprises.

Adding a humorous perspective, Shoaib Akhtar quipped about the abundance of talent in the Indian squad, joking about the difficulty of selecting the playing XI. He did add, though, that India is expected to win the tournament.

The last time these two teams met in Dubai, during the ICC Champions Trophy, India won by six wickets, with Virat Kohli leading the charge. However, Pakistan has a slight edge in the overall ODI head-to-head record, with 73 wins compared to India's 58.