Top three players to watch from Pakistan ahead of Asia Cup 2025

During the 2025 season of the Asia Cup, Pakistan will be without their two veteran batters, Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan. The former was the leader of the T20I side before he was dropped from the shortest format after their poor show in the previous T20 World Cup. The exact reason could be told for Rizwan, who, despite being their ODI captain, hasn’t been given a chance in the Asia Cup T20.

Pakistan is currently undergoing a tri-series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which can be the best preparation for the Salman Ali Agha-led side. It will also be an acid test for the young captain and the newly appointed head coach, Mike Hesson, who had the team in Bangladesh for the T20I series.

See Also: Top 3 players to watch from India ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Pakistan, on the back of their poor performance in the last T20 World Cup despite finishing as the runners-up of the penultimate edition, will look to develop a few spots in the side before the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. They will feature in those games in Sri Lanka.

Let’s take a look at the top 3 players to watch from Pakistan ahead of Asia Cup 2025

3. Fakhar Zaman

The left-handed opening batter of the Pakistan side, Fakhar Zaman, missed the Champions Trophy 2025 after receiving an injury during the opening clash against New Zealand in Karachi. And his absence could be seen easily in the Green Brigade’s opening position.

The southpaw has been equally successful in the shortest format. He has scored 2000 runs in 92 T20I innings at an average of 22.47 and a strike rate of 131.49, with 11 half-centuries at the best score of 91 runs. On the other hand, in 288 T20 innings, he drilled 7823 runs at an average of 28.14 and a strike rate of 135.48 with three centuries and 53 fifties.

Fakhar enjoyed a fine time in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 for the Lahore Qalandars as he pocketed 439 runs in 13 innings at an average of 33.76 and a strike rate of 152.96 with four fifties at the best score of 76 runs.

2. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Whenever it comes to picking wickets with the new ball inside the first six overs of the innings, Shaheen Shah Afridi has been the go-to bowler for Pakistan. His in-swinging delivery to Rohit Sharma in Dubai during the 2021 World Cup is still fresh and memorable to many fans of the country.

In 83 innings of the shortest format, he has picked up 106 wickets at an average of 22.29 and a strike rate of 17, with an economy rate of under eight, thanks to the best bowling figure of 4/22 in an innings. The left-arm pacer has also truck-loaded experience of bagging 314 T20 wickets in 225 innings at an average of 21.06 and an economy rate of under eight.

During the last PSL for Lahore, Afridi, who struggled to find the same swing and seam movement with the new ball, ended with 19 wickets in just 12 innings at an average of under 17 and a strike rate of 12.6 with an economy rate of 7.76. His best bowling figure for an inning was 3/3. In Babar and Rizwan’s absence, Afridi can mark him as the most experienced campaigner of the side.

1. Haris Rauf

Along with Afridi’s pace, Pakistan will aim to get the best form and touch of their expressive speedster, Haris Rauf, who can trouble the batters during the middle overs of the innings with his aggressive pace. When he is on song, it’s really hard to get the pacer off the radar. And that’s what the team management would hope.

Rauf, in 87 innings of the shortest format for Pakistan, has pocketed 124 wickets at an average of 21.30 and a strike rate of 15.3 with an economy rate of 8.34, thanks to the best bowling figure of 4/18 in an innings. Overall, in 244 T20 innings, the right-arm pacer has bagged 332 wickets at an average of 22.34 and a strike rate of 15.8 with an economy rate of 8.43.

During the recent season of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, he picked up 17 wickets in eight innings at an average of 15.05 at an economy rate of just over nine. In the PSL for the Qalandars, he bagged 17 wickets in 12 innings at a slightly expensive economy rate of 10.28.

 Pakistan will begin their campaign of the Asia Cup 2025 against Oman on September 12 in Dubai before they face India two days later at the same venue. That game will be full of excitement on the back of the recent political relationship between the two neighboring countries.