Asia Cup 2025: Gayle excited for ‘new era’ of India-Pakistan rivalry

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has expressed excitement to see post-superstars era of India-Pakistan rivalry.

The highly anticipated game is scheduled to take place at the Dubai International Stadium today (Sunday).

Taking to his official X [Twitter] account, Gayle shared his excitement about the encounter, calling it a new chapter in one of cricket’s greatest rivalries.

“It’s the #IndvsPak game again & it always brings excitement for fans across the globe,” Chris Gayle wrote.

“Both teams have moved on from their superstars, and it’s the new era for the rivalry. The atmosphere will be great & hope for a cracker of a game. #AsiaCup2025.”

The former T20 trailblazer, who has played against both nations at the highest level, underlined how the rivalry continues to thrive despite the transition away from iconic names like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma, and Mohammad Rizwan.

The highly anticipated showdown will be the first T20I meeting between the two sides since India edged out Pakistan in a tense, low-scoring thriller during the World Cup 2024 in New York.

Both teams come into the contest in strong form. India dismantled the UAE in their opening match, bowling them out for just 57 and chasing the target in 4.3 overs, while Pakistan brushed aside Oman with a 93-run win on Friday.

Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.