The journey that took Pakistan to the Asia Cup 2025 final has been billed as the brilliance of its fast bowlers, and the big blow against India will not be any different. In the virtual semi-final with Bangladesh, Shaheen Afridi struck again with another merciless spell of 3-0-11-2 with the new ball, destroying the top order.
Afridi’s mastery over the new ball remains a record with 51 Powerplay wickets in T20Is, only second in the world compared to Tim Southee. To add to his all-round worth, the left-arm quick also broke a crucial 19 off 13 balls to save the Pakistan innings, which had been put in peril at 55-5, and give it some foundation at 135.
He came back to complete 4-0-17-3 and won his 10th T20I Player of the Match award, the highest number awarded to a fast bowler in the game’s history.
Haris Rauf joined Afridi in demonstrating why Pakistan has been relying on him, even though his record on Powerplay is questionable in ODIs. With a near-90mph strike rate, Rauf dispatched the in-form Saif Hasan in a quick 2-0-17-1 burst and continued to have one wicket every 15 balls in T20Is.
Haris Rauf Effect
Rauf is an invaluable player in Pakistan’s arsenal of pace since he can give a team first-mover advantages in big matches, as was apparent in the 2022 Asia Cup final, the 2022 T20 World Cup final, and high-pressure matches against India.
Although Dubai is known to help spinners, the statistics say otherwise. Pakistan’s quicks have 23 wickets in this tournament at an average of only 15.91, compared with 18 wickets in 19.83 by the spinners.
Their supremacy poses a strategic question for Sunday: Can Pakistan release an additional pacer so that it can take advantage of the top order? The fast-bowling attack led by Afridi and sheer pace led by Rauf are ready to determine the fate of an India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup final—the first in 41 years.
