Asia Cup 2025: 5 players who failed to deliver

Published - 29 Sept 2025, 21:23 IST | Updated - 29 Sept 2025, 21:50 IST

The Asia Cup 2025 came to a solid end with India lifting the trophy after an unbeaten campaign. While the champions displayed collective brilliance, their campaign also had a few gaps, as not every player rose to the occasion. Even within a winning team, some individuals struggled to find rhythm, raising questions about their form despite the team’s success.

Several teams saw some of their players fail when it mattered most. Whether it was poor performances with the bat, lack of brilliance in bowling, or failure on the field, these lapses proved costly. For teams that failed to progress over the Super Four stage, underperforming individuals were a main reason behind their struggles.

Pakistani opener Saim Ayub had one of the worst batting campaigns. Seen as the team's X factor, he managed just 37 runs in seven innings at an average of 5.28, the lowest ever by a top-three batter in the tournament’s history. His campaign included four ducks, with three of them coming in consecutive matches.

Even when demoted down the order to ease the pressure, the southpaw could not deliver. In the final against India, he fell for 14 while trying to cut Kuldeep Yadav. Though he chipped in with the ball, picking up eight wickets with his off-spin, his primary role as a batter was disappointing.