India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy returned to the playing XI for the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash against Pakistan on Sunday, September 21, at the Dubai International Stadium. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and decided to bowl first in the high-pressure contest.

Chakaravarthy has quietly built a reputation for delivering in big games. The 34-year-old made a fine start to his Asia Cup campaign with a tight spell against the UAE, conceding just four runs in two overs while picking up a wicket. He was equally impressive against Pakistan in the group stage, finishing with figures of 4-0-24-1, troubling their middle order with his variations.

Despite his strong showings, the spinner was rested for India’s final group match against Oman, which was a dead rubber. The team management instead tested their bench strength by handing opportunities to pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Both bowlers did reasonably well, but with the stakes higher in the Super Fours, India reverted to their first-choice attack.

Bumrah and Chakaravarthy return as India bank on experience for high-stakes clash against Pakistan

At the toss, Suryakumar confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy would come back into the side, replacing Arshdeep and Harshit. The captain emphasized that the team had been treating every game as a knockout since the start of the tournament and wanted the best combination on the field.

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India have looked dominant so far, winning all three of their group-stage fixtures. Their bowling unit, now reinforced with Bumrah’s pace and Chakaravarthy’s mystery spin, looks balanced and dangerous. Pakistan, meanwhile, will rely heavily on their top order to counter India’s strong attack, knowing that Chakaravarthy can be particularly hard to read on Dubai’s surfaces.

This clash not only brings together two arch-rivals but also serves as a test of India’s decision to back experience in key matches. Fans will be eager to see if Chakaravarthy can once again deliver under pressure and strengthen India’s unbeaten run in the tournament.

IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Playing XIs

Pakistan (PAK): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

India (IND): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy