Ishant Sharma stated that he feels bad for the Pakistan team following their two losses against the Suryakumar Yadav-led India team in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. Ishant Sharma said that the Salman Ali Agha-led side is under relentless pressure from their own fans, and matches against India only add extra burden.
The Asia Cup is nearing its business end in the UAE. India and Pakistan could face each other once more in the summit clash on Sunday, September 28, in Dubai. The two sides have already met twice in the ongoing tournament, with India emerging victorious in both the group stage and the Super Four stage.
Sometimes I Feel Bad For Them – Ishant Sharma on Pakistan
Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Ishant Sharma stated that India-Pakistan matches were intense during the era of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Shahid Afridi. Sharma added that today’s Pakistan team lags behind in terms of talent, exposure, and infrastructure.
“Pakistan already have so much pressure on them, how will they handle more from us? If you look at the matches, their fans in the crowd are always shouting behind them from the stands. Actually, sometimes I feel bad for them,” Ishant Sharma told Raj Shamani.
“The pressure will be high (during an India vs Pakistan match), but that was more during the time when they had great players like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Afridi… these were great players. The kind of talent, exposure, and infrastructure we have they are not even close,” Ishant Sharma added.
Pakistan Suffered Back-to-Back Defeats Against India
Pakistan endured back-to-back defeats against India in the Asia Cup 2025, losing by seven wickets in the group stage and by six wickets in the Super Four opener.
India extended their dominance in T20Is, winning 11 of 15 encounters against Pakistan, with three victories for the latter and one tie. India skipper Suryakumar Yadav recently dismissed the idea of a rivalry between the two teams.
Pakistan managed only 127/9 after electing to bat in the group match. The Salman Ali Agha-led team improved their batting in the Super Four clash, posting 171/5, but it was not enough to defend. Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill played key roles with the bat.
India and Pakistan Could Clash Again in Asia Cup 2025 Final
India and Pakistan could meet for a third time in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Pakistan secured crucial points with a win over Sri Lanka, moving to second place in the table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of +0.226. Sri Lanka suffered two losses and are at the bottom of the table.
Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 133/8 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 23. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz helped chase the target with two overs to spare. Pakistan will face Bangladesh in a must-win clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 25.
India are at the top of the table with two wins and an NRR of +0.689. They are strong favorites for the final, while the battle for the second spot will come down to Pakistan and Bangladesh.