“It’s very different from Virat’s era”: Shoaib Akhtar’s sharp verdict on IND vs PAK match

Shoaib Akhtar believes India hold the upper hand going into their Asia Cup 2025 showdown with Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The former speedster, speaking on a Pakistani TV programme, said Suryakumar Yadav’s side ranks among the strongest T20I teams he has seen and praised the solid options India have in the middle order.

“It’s clear they will look to dominate and put you under pressure. To put it simply, make sure to hammer you. If I take it a step further, their statement would be that they’d rather face Afghanistan in the final than Pakistan,” Akhtar said during a discussion on Game On Hai.

At the same time, Former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq reminded viewers that this line-up is missing Virat Kohli. He stressed that Kohli’s knack for holding the innings together after early wickets was a quality the current group will not benefit from.

“Pakistan’s chance lies in troubling India early. If they can remove two wickets quickly, it opens the door. Without Virat Kohli, this batting line-up is different, and the newer players haven’t faced these bowlers much. If the attack makes inroads at the top, Pakistan will definitely be in the game,”Misbah commented.

Akhtar responded by stressing the strength of India’s batting line-up. He mentioned players such as Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jitesh Sharma, and Axar Patel, saying this team is not as fragile as before. With Abhishek Sharma also in the squad, he felt India’s batting looked even stronger.

“I don’t mean to dismiss your point, but look at the names—Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jitesh Sharma,” Akhtar remarked,

“Even Axar Patel can contribute with the bat. This isn’t the same side that would crumble after losing a couple of wickets. It’s very different from Virat’s era. On top of that, they also have Abhishek Sharma,” he added,

“This is the strongest middle-order batting line-up India has ever produced,” he said