Both India and Bangladesh have won their respective opening encounters of the Super Four stage. While India beat arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh upset the Sri Lankans, who had been unbeaten in the group stage.
Although this isn’t a do-or-die encounter for either side, the winning team will practically have one foot in the final.
For this Super Four match-up of the 2025 Asia Cup, here are our preview and predictions.
Put in to bat against Bangladesh in their last game, Sri Lanka lost two wickets in the Powerplay. Pathum Nissanka (22 off 15) and Kusal Mendis (34 off 25) had them going, but their middle order faltered and the team were 97/4 after 14 overs. However, Dasun Shanaka (64 off 37) led the charge in the late overs to take Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 168/7 on a tricky Dubai wicket. Mustafizur Rahman bowled beautifully for Bangladesh and ended with figures of 3/20 in his four overs.
In response, Bangladesh lost Tanzid Hasan in the first over, but the other opener, Saif Hassan, and Litton Das then scored freely in the Powerplay. Das fell just after the Powerplay, giving Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope, but Hassan and Towhid Hridoy steadied the ship with a 54-run partnership. Bangladesh did make a hash of the chase by losing two wickets in a dramatic last over, but they got there in the end with a ball to spare. Shanaka shone with the ball as well, getting 2/22 and causing chaos in the last over.
On the other hand, the India–Pakistan match began with the Men in Blue winning the toss and asking the Men in Green to bat first. Opener Sahibzada Farhan went on to score the most runs (58 off 45); no other batter could support him, barring meaningful cameos Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, and Faheem Ashraf. Shivam Dube proved to be India’s game-changer with the ball, registering 2/33 in his four overs on a day when India’s ace Jasprit Bumrah struggled with his line and length. It wasn’t just the bowling, but also the utterly dismal fielding that let India down and helped Pakistan reach 171/5 in their 20 overs.
In response, the Indian openers came out to bat with intent. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill took India to 69/0 in the Powerplay with an aggressive display. Gill was the first casualty of the innings when he got out for a well-made 47 off 28 just before the tenth over, but by then India had scored 100 runs and were cruising to an easy win. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson got out cheaply, giving Pakistan a chance, but Sharma kept going. After his dismissal, Tilak Varma and the experienced Hardik Pandya took India home with seven balls to spare. Sharma proved to be India’s star batter with hi 38-ball 74, while Haris Rauf bowled best for Pakistan with figures of 2/26 in his four overs.
This encounter between India and Bangladesh is going to be tough. On paper, the Men in Blue are definitely stronger with both bat and ball, but they need to make sure they don’t get complacent — as was the case in the field against Pakistan. Their top-order batters are the real danger; if Bangladesh can get them early, they’ll stand a chance. However, considering India’s superior bowling strength and the tricky Dubai wicket, the reigning Asia Cup champions should win this encounter.
Fantasy XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Litton Das (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman
Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai
Winners Prediction: India
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