Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to India's win in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash ft. Sunil Gavaskar

India emphasized their dominance over Pakistan in T20 cricket once again, sealing a six-wicket victory in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. The win was set up from a scorching, 105-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, which also improved the Men in Blue's winning streak in the tournament to four.

After bowling first, India bowled Pakistan for 171/5 with Shivam Dube leading the way at 2/33. Both Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with a wicket apiece. In response, India was led by Abhishek's firey 39-ball 74 and Gill's 47 off just 28 balls, as it did not take long for the Men in Blue to reel it in. Tilak Varma finished not out at 30* in the over and a half.

The emphatic result led to strong reactions from former players and experts alike. We take a look at the five best expert takes on India's latest triumph over their arch-rivals.

Murali Kartik 

Former spinner Murali Kartik commended India’s new openers for responding positively after a few hiccups in the field earlier. Kartik believed the match could have even ended earlier had Gill not departed mid-chase. 

“From 91 at halftime, getting only 80 more. And the way the Indian openers started – if we didn’t have the injury and Shubman Gill getting out, I thought by the 14/15th over this game would have been over. It was an easy win in the end, but the credit must go to the openers for batting so positively and forgetting about those dropped catches,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

This was India’s highest opening partnership against Pakistan in T20Is, eclipsing the 77-run partnership of Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane in 2012.

Sunil Gavaskar

Iconic batsman Sunil Gavaskar praised Suryakumar Yadav’s side for responding to the pressure after the commotion in the previous group-stage meeting when India neglected to engage in the customary post-match handshake. 

“I think after all the halla-bullu that happened after the last game, the pressure was definitely on the Indians. Yes, there was pressure to win the match in style, given everything that happened on Sunday. But, they showed that they had the temperament to deal with all of that and perform under pressure," Gavaskar told India Today.

Harbhajan Singh 

Harbhajan Singh, a former off-spin bowler, made a point about the disparity between the two sides, noting that India sees true competition in teams that dominate worldwide - not in teams from Asia.

"Pakistan is a young team, but right now they don't have that strength. The way their pacers were hit off in the first six overs speaks to India's level being above. India's contest is not with Pakistan or Afghanistan or any Asian team - it is with Australia and England," Harbhajan said on Sports Tak.

India are the defending Asia Cup champions and have now won the trophy a record total of eight times.

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Ravichandran Ashwin

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was forthright in his evaluation, stating that the current Indian team is on a different level entirely.

“There is a big difference between emotion and skill. The previous generation matches between India and Pakistan had their share of emotion which would lead to mistakes. This Indian team is on a different league altogether. This Pakistan team is a long, long, long, long way away. The best way Pakistan can win this Asia Cup is if India don’t play,” remarked Ashwin his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.

At this stage in the history of the Asia Cup, India has a decisive head-to-head record, winning 13 matches out of the 22 played.

Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder, appreciated the Indian bowling unit, which managed to limit Pakistan to a modest total despite the star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah having a rare off day (0/45 in 4 overs). He also referred to the "impact" of Shivam Dube as the sixth bowler. 

"If a big bowler like Jasprit Bumrah has a bad day, whichever team he is representing usually struggles. But after Bumrah was subpar, India did not let Pakistan cross 200 runs, which shows the quality of the Indian bowling unit: spin and the sixth pacer. This is where Pakistan is behind - in batting and bowling. There is a very huge gap. India are way ahead," Pathan said on his YouTube channel. 

Dube's two wickets of Sahibzada Farhan - 58 and Saim Ayub - 21 were also important in stemming Pakistan's start.

Dominance Continues

India's victory not only bolstered their culture credentials for the Asia Cup but simultaneously extended the illusory gap between the two rivals even more. While Pakistan continues its inconsistency, analysts suggest that India's plan will be to challenge themselves against the true best in world cricket — Australia and England. 

For now, Suryakumar Yadav's team represents the challenge for the rest of Asia, breezing into the next phase of the 2025 Asia Cup as the only unbeaten team entering the business end of the tournament.