Shoaib Akhtar suggests ‘gameplan’ for Pakistan to beat India in Asia Cup 2025 final

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As the cricketing world gears up for the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium, former speedster Shoaib Akhtar has shared his thoughts on how Pakistan can turn the tables on their arch-rivals. After suffering two defeats against India earlier in the tournament, Akhtar mentioned how some changes in the approach can help Pakistan overcome the mighty Indian team.

India and Pakistan have already crossed paths twice in this year’s Asia Cup, and on both occasions, India had the upper hand. The Super 4s clash turned especially heated when Pakistani pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi were involved in verbal duels with Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Despite the aggression, India’s batting depth proved decisive. Abhishek, in particular, has been Pakistan’s biggest headache. His explosive 74 off 35 deliveries in the previous encounter set up a comfortable seven-ball-remaining chase of 172. Adding to his form, the left-hander also smashed a 75 off 37 against Bangladesh, underlining his consistency at the top.

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Akhtar, speaking on the ‘Game on Hai’ show, urged Pakistan to shed any psychological baggage of facing India. The Rawalpindi Express reckoned Pakistan often gets caught up in India’s reputation rather than focusing on their own strengths. He suggested that Pakistan should adopt the same fearless attitude they displayed against Bangladesh, where their bowlers hunted for wickets instead of simply aiming to contain runs.

“Come out of this mindset, keep their aura aside. Just break their aura. Just play with this mindset that you had in the match against Bangladesh. This is the kind of mindset you need. You don’t need to bowl 20 overs; you just need to get wickets,” said Akhtar.

The former speedster also warned Pakistan about the danger of letting Abhishek Sharma settle. Akhtar pointed to Abhishek’s ability to dictate the tone of India’s innings. By dismissing him within the powerplay—ideally the first two overs—Pakistan can cut off India’s momentum at the source. Akhtar observed that Abhishek’s aggressive stroke play comes with risks, which Pakistan must exploit by bowling attacking lines and forcing mistakes.

“Mark my words, if Abhishek Sharma gets out in the first two overs, they will get in trouble. The starts they are getting, they are going to struggle if Abhishek gets out early. It’s not like that, Abhishek will not mistime the ball; he will do that; you just need to go for the kill. If you come out fighting, India will realise that we have to work hard for our runs,” added Akhtar.

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