India vs Pakistan match guide—IND vs PAK live, where to watch India Pakistan match, live streaming, probable XIs, head-to-head, pitch and weather cues, plus IND vs PAK live score tips.

India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025 (T20): Date, Time (IST), Venue, Where to Watch, Squads, Key Match-ups & What To Expect

Date & Time (IST): Sunday, 14 September 2025, 8:00 PM IST Local Time (Dubai): 6:30 PM GST · Match No.: Group A Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (UAE).

India–Pakistan fixtures are rare, high-pressure one-offs, and this Asia Cup 2025 T20 group clash has all the ingredients: a neutral-venue night game, two new-look line-ups, and a tournament table that can swing dramatically based on one result. Below is your complete, original match brief with confirmed date/time, broadcast details, verified squad context (including retirements), predicted XIs, and the tactical angles most likely to decide the contest.

When does IND vs PAK start? (IST, venue, format)

Format: T20I (Asia Cup 2025 is being played in the T20 format)
Date: 14 September 2025 (Sunday)
Start: 8:00 PM IST (14:30 GMT / 6:30 PM local in Dubai)
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. These timings and the fixture come from the official tournament schedule listings carried by multiple reputable outlets that are updating the day-by-day grid.

Where to watch IND vs PAK (TV & streaming)

India:

TV: Sony Sports Network channels (as per India rights for the tournament).
Streaming: SonyLIV (subscription; mobile and TV apps).

Global quick guide:

USA: Willow TV/stream.
UK: TNT Sports/Discovery+ (as per regional listings).
Other regions are covered via local rights partners; a consolidated watch-guide summarising platforms by country lists SonyLIV (India) and Willow (US) among the key carriers. Always confirm in your EPG/app on match day.

The squad reality: no Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli in T20Is

Two of India’s modern greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, retired from T20 internationals in June 2024 after India’s T20 World Cup win. That’s why they are not part of India’s T20 Asia Cup planning in 2025. Expect India’s leadership/batting core to reflect the post-2024 transition.

Official squads & likely XIs

Official squads: The Asian Cricket Council tournament squads have been announced and are being tracked by global and governing-body channels (ICC, Olympics.com). These lists confirm the pool of available players; XIs below are a form/role-based projection for this specific match.

India (Predicted XI): Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj. Why: India have leaned on a white-ball template that pairs a proactive top three with multi-phase hitters (Pandya/Samson) and a spin-led middle-overs choke (Kuldeep + Axar). Bumrah + left-arm angle at the death remains the finishing touch.

Pakistan (Predicted XI): Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali/Wasim Jr. Why: Pakistan’s balance typically blends a left-hand power option (Fakhar), a high-tempo keeper-bat (Rizwan), a dual-spin middle, and a pace trio that challenges at both ends. Selections can shuffle based on match-ups and form. (Note: Playing XIs will be confirmed at toss time.)

Form guide & tournament context

India’s start: India opened Group A with a confident win over UAE in Dubai, indicating rhythm in both powerplay batting and middle-overs control—useful signals heading into the Pakistan clash.
Pakistan’s schedule footprint: Pakistan’s group slate also runs through Dubai/Abu Dhabi, with fixtures tight enough that workload management for the quicks becomes a tactical subplot. (See running schedules on live hubs.)

With eight teams in a 19-match T20 tournament hosted in the UAE (9–28 Sept), Group A points swing quickly; this result can determine seeding and the path into the Super Four.

Key match-ups (where the game can turn)

1) New-ball chess: Gill/Abhishek vs Shaheen Afridi If Pakistan get early movement, Afridi’s left-arm angle at 140+ challenges Gill’s off-stump discipline and Abhishek’s high back-lift. India’s counter is intent: picking off width, running hard twos, and resisting the sucker drive.

2) Virat-Kohli era void vs Pakistan’s pace pack Without Rohit/Kohli, India lean on Suryakumar Yadav to set middle-overs tempo. Pakistan will try to deny Surya the off-side pockets and bring pace-off options early to break his rhythm.

3) Wrist-spin duel: Kuldeep vs Pakistan’s middle; Shadab/Abrar vs India’s right-hand heavy core On even-paced Dubai surfaces, wrist-spin often decides overs 7–15. Kuldeep’s wrong’un vs left-handers and Abrar’s drift can both steal the game in quiet, single-digit spells.

4) Death-over execution: Bumrah & Arshdeep vs Rauf & Shaheen The last 12 balls frequently swing IND–PAK graphs. Bumrah pairs hard-length cutters with wide yorkers; Pakistan’s Rauf responds with pace-on bluff and back-of-the-hand change-ups.

Conditions: pitch, weather, toss

Dubai night games are typically even-paced with a playable bounce profile. Dew can arrive post-8:30 PM IST; chasing has a marginal edge if the outfield quickens and grips reduce. Expect captains to factor in dew + sighting before deciding at the toss. (Match-timing/venue confirmed via live schedule feeds noted above.)

What does “success” look like for each side?

India:

Powerplay stability: 45–50 for 1 with at least five boundaries sets the table.
Middle-overs intent: Keep the rate above 7.5 without slogging—Surya/Pandya rotate + punish length.
Spin squeeze: Kuldeep/Axar hunting a combined 2–3 wickets in overs 7–15 keeps Pakistan behind the ask.
Fielding: Eliminate extra runs; Dubai’s big square pockets reward clean angles and relay throws.

Pakistan:

Strike early: Two wickets inside four overs forces India’s rebuild.
Rizwan anchor + one burst: A 35(25) scaffold from Rizwan with a Faz-style 20-ball 35 from the other end flips phases.
Pace layers at the death: Alternate lines/lengths; don’t allow Bumrah-style repeatability from India’s finishers.
Catching: Big-game nerves can leak runs; Pakistan’s best nights feature safe hands and calm under lights.

Broadcast & digital: quick answers

What time is IND vs PAK in IST? 8:00 PM IST (6:30 PM local).
Where is it? Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
How to watch in India? Sony Sports on TV; SonyLIV for streaming (subscription).
Global streaming pointers? Willow (US), TNT Sports/Discovery+ (UK), others per region; see consolidated watch-guide references.

Why this IND–PAK is different

This isn’t a reprise of the 2010s script. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is, India’s batting identity in this format now leans on younger openers, a 360-degree No. 3/4, and a seam attack built around Bumrah’s mastery rather than pure star power at the top. Pakistan, meanwhile, continue to tweak the blend around Rizwan/Fakhar, testing middle-order finishing and spin-seam balance. The net effect: tactical freshness on both sides—and more volatility.

What happened earlier this week (why it matters)

India’s opening win vs UAE was clinical and short, hinting at batting form and a bowling plan that travels. Pakistan’s schedule compresses quick turnarounds across Dubai/Abu Dhabi; rotation and over-by-over game management become as important as raw pace. Combine those with group permutations and this single night can define Super Four seedings—and potential semifinal paths—well before the last round of group games.

Final word

Expect a tight, tactical T20 rather than a slog-fest: new-ball discipline, wrist-spin control, and calm death-over plans will matter more than one highlight reel shot. If dew is heavy, the chasing captain gains marginally; if the ball grips, expect the middle-overs spinners to write the script. Either way, the only safe prediction with India–Pakistan is pressure. The rest unfolds at 8:00 PM IST under the Dubai lights. Also read: