Unlike batting and bowling, fielding is one such aspect of the game that does not get the attention it deserves. While most players manage to steal the show on the back of some exemplary batting and bowling abilities, this aspect of the game is generally overlooked. Throughout the history of the Asia Cup, we have cherished some breathtaking fielding displays that would often turn the game on its head. But at times, the pressure of the game gets so big on the players that lapses inevitably happen on the field. And when they do, it does not take too long for things to escalate as they become a prime target for the fans and media alike. 

Although some catches do not turn out to be very costly in nature, a few end up deciding the fate of the match, thus leaving the guilty party on the losing side. In this article, we bring you the four five costly fielding blunders to have ever occurred in the history of the Asia Cup, with Arshdeep Singh of India leading the list.  

See also: Five bowlers to produce best bowling figures in Asia Cup history ft Ajantha Mendis

Arshdeep Singh (Ind vs Pak, Asia Cup 2022)

This dropped catch from Arshdeep Singh will go down as the costliest drop in the record books. Not only did this drop chance leave the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma visibly distraught, but it also extinguished India's chances of advancing further in the tournament. During the Super Four match between India and Pakistan on September 4, 2022, Arshdeep dropped Asif Ali off Ravi Bishnoi's bowling in the 18th over. What was supposed to be a regulation catch at short third man turned into a horror tragedy for the Indian pacer. That miss proved pivotal, as Asif Ali went on to score 16 off 8 balls, turning the tide in Pakistan’s favor. He was entrusted with the ball in the final over and also succeeded in picking up a wicket. But he couldn't prevent Iftikhar Ali from getting off strike in the final ball of the run chase, and that is when the game was lost. Arshdeep's drop drew mixed reactions from former cricketers, with many labelling the effort as "lazy" while some also came to his defence and offered strong words of support.

Shadab Khan & Asif Ali (Pak vs Sl, Asia Cup 2022 Final)

Pakistani players are well known for committing atrocious fielding lapses during crunch moments of the game. On September 11, 2022, much to the agony of the Pakistani fans, Shadab Khan gifted an early lifeline to Sri Lanka's Bhanuka Rajapaksa by spilling a dolly of a catch. A few overs later, another catching opportunity went begging as a collision with Asif Ali near the boundary resulted in six bonus runs for Rajapaksa. These dropped chances proved fatal as Sri Lanka, who seemed to be staring down the barrel at 58-5, were able to make a timely recovery as Rajapaksa went on to score a valuable 71* to steer Sri Lanka to a competitive 170-6. As a result, the target proved beyond the reach of Pakistan as they were their innings folded for just 147, handing Sri Lanka a famous Asia Cup title victory. But had Shadab or Asif held on to the catches earlier, the end score line could have looked a lot different. 

Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli & Shreyas Iyer (Ind vs Nep, Asia Cup 2023)

The Men in Blue experienced a rare failure on the field when they took on Nepal for the first time in the history of the Asia Cup. In the early overs of the Nepalese innings, India dropped three regulation catches. Iyer, Kohli, and Kishan, who are well regarded for setting high fielding standards, were the guilty party. These unexpected blunders from some of India's best fieldsmen allowed the Nepalese openers to set a surprisingly solid foundation. Unlike the other drops, these dropped catches did not go on to hurt India as Rohit and Gill quickly raced out of the blocks to help India chase down 145 in a DLS-effected game, with all 10 wickets intact. While less dramatic, the fielding lapses were glaring in a game expected to be one-sided, and significantly boosted Nepal’s confidence early in the tournament.

Umar Akmal (Pak vs Sl, Asia Cup 2014 Final)

Thanks to their notorious fielding reputation, the presence of the Pakistani fielders in this list is omnipresent. According to some experts, Pakistan's Umar Akmal is believed to have dropped the Sri Lankan batter Lahiru Thirimanne. A pivotal moment came when Umar Akmal, Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman, dropped Thirimanne when he was on 36 in the 20th over. That reprieve allowed Thirimanne to go on and score a match-defining century. Sri Lanka chased down a target of 261, winning the final by five wickets with 22 balls to spare, thanks in large part to Lahiru Thirimanne’s century (101) and a strong partnership with Mahela Jayawardene (75). Additionally, this was not the only major lapse committed by a Pakistani fielder in that Final. Experts have the opinion that the fielding lapses were aplenty from Pakistan in that game, which resulted in a disappointing defeat for the Green Shirts. 

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, the Pakistan cricket team is hit by a major injury blow. Due to injury, one of their major players can miss the prestigious tournament. Now, further details and an official confirmation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) only can clear the air. 

The white-ball format captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Shadab Khan, has been struggling with injury for a while. As per the latest media reports, because of the serious nature of the injury, he can consider skipping the upcoming Asia Cup, and that will harm the team. Shadab Khan is likely to miss the Asia Cup due to a recurring shoulder injury.

As it is known, the 26-year-old has been fighting with his uneasy shoulder, and he may have to undergosurgery before participating in any further matches. Because of the shoulder problem, the all-rounder was sidelined from Pakistan's recent tour of Bangladesh, where the visiting team lost by 1-2 in a three-match T20I series. According to stats, Khan last played his last match in the early month of June this year. After that, he is out of contention. 

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Khan can take about 3 months to recover 

The Pakistan Cricket Board's medical team has recommended him for surgery. It is now expected that Shadab Khan can fly to London for surgery. As of now, his return with Team Pakistan is under concern. His comeback in the cricket field can take some more time. After the possible surgery, the whole recovery period can consume almost three months. 

On the other hand, the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to start on July 26, as per the announcement made by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, following a meeting in Dhaka. The tournament will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in a hybrid model. After a crucial meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the much-awaited announcement about the Asia Cup has arrived.

The anticipation is brewing as the tenth installment of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 10) approaches, as fans prepare themselves for another dramatic season of high-octane cricket. Having completed the PSL 2025 Draft, team lineups have been completed and everyone looks towards Islamabad United (IU), the most decorated franchise in the history of PSL and reigning champions.

Islamabad United have long been synonymous with shrewd squad management, combining international match-winners with the best Pakistani talent. Their strategy has worked time and again, with two PSL titles already to their name and a third added in the last season. With PSL 10 just around the corner, United are once again loaded with firepower in all departments.

Also Read: PSL 2025: Islamabad United Schedule for PSL 10

This article features the Islamabad United complete roster for PSL 2025. Whether you are a long-time fan or have recently been introduced to the team, below is an overview of the players who will be donning the Red Storm colors in their bid to defend the title. 

Islamabad United Squad 2025

The following is a list of all the confirmed players picked in the PSL 2025 Draft. United has held on to some of its biggest match-winners while supplementing with fresh faces to uphold its championship advantage. With explosive hitters to death-over specialists, this team will be a winner.

There are six categories of players in PSL:

• Platinum 
• Diamond
• Gold
• Silver
• Emerging
• Supplementary

Islamabad United enter PSL 10 with a well-rounded and star-laden squad. Captain Shadab Khan continues leading his team with enthusiasm and good tactical awareness, along with the contributions of players that helped in their various championship drives. The addition of overseas talent, including Alex Hales, Tom Curran, and Reece Topley, makes them even more likely to make a deep run in the tournament.

Islamabad United: Key Players to watch out for

These are the highlight players who are expected to hold key positions in Islamabad United's tour:

• Shadab Khan
• Naseem Shah
• Jason Holder
• Matthew Short
• Imad Wasim
• Azam Khan
• Rassie van der Dussen
• Colin Munro

Islamabad United have never been known to compromise their style of playing dashing cricket and grooming future legends. Having won the trophy in PSL 1, 3, and now PSL 9, they're confident of adding a fourth trophy in 2025. With their strong team and winning vibes surrounding them, they're strong favorites to conquer PSL 10.

 Salman Ali Agha: Pakistan’s New T20 Captain for the New Zealand Tour

Shadab Khan was initially selected for Pakistan's T20I captaincy for the New Zealand tour, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to go with Salman Ali Agha instead of him. While Shadab didn’t get the most crucial role, but he was appointed as vice-captain for the series. Pakistan ended up losing the five-match T20I series 1-4.
As per a report from Pakistan Cricket , the PCB had thought about making Shadab the captain but chose not to. Shadab has previous leadership experience in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained Islamabad United to a title win last year. He performed well with both bat and ball, playing a key role in the victory and earning the Player of the Tournament award.

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The PCB decided not to appoint Shadab Khan as captain after discussions with the selectors. Before finalizing the squad for the New Zealand tour, the board consulted five mentors Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Shoaib Malik. These mentors had earlier been criticized for their supposed role in picking Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy, where the team was knocked out in the group stage. However, they later clarified that they were not involved in the final selection.

🚨PCB REJECTED SHADAB KHAN'S CAPTAINCY PROPOSAL🚨

- Shadab Khan was considered for the T20I captaincy during Pakistan's tour of New Zealand, but PCB rejected the proposal, prioritizing new players for the T20 WC 2026. Salman Ali Agha was appointed as captain. [Cricket Pakistan] pic.twitter.com/NpI9puZ3nx

— Salman (@SalmanAsif2007) April 1, 2025

 

With the T20 World Cup coming up next year, the PCB wanted to try out new players, which is why Salman Ali Agha was given the captaincy. Agha had been one of Pakistan’s most reliable batsmen and was in great form. He ended up as the team’s highest run-scorer in the series, making 167 runs in five matches at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 135.77.

On the other hand, Shadab Khan had a rough series. He scored only 58 runs and took just one wicket while conceding runs at an economy of 11 per over. Despite the recent losses, the PCB is still focused on giving young players a chance and encouraging a more aggressive style of cricket.

This Champions Trophy would be most heart breaking for Pakistan and their Cricket Team, As they were hosting the Champions Trophy. But after 4 days of its happening they were out of the tournament. Pakistan played their first match against New Zealand where they lost their first encounter. They lost their second match against their arch rival India with that loss they were completely out from Champions Trophy. 

They had their mere thinner chance but rain spoiled their third game. There were enough backlash from people to their team. Addressing the team selection, change of coaching staffs, playing with same type of players in the team and PCB runs with a recomondation quota and so on. Now with their early exit and hefty loss. PCB has taken strict actions to improve on players fitness and quality. 

Read More: Big Set Back For Mumbai Indians Star Player Is Doubtful For IPL 2025

Complete Revamp Of The Team

First and foremost PCB is going to terminate the contract of Aquib Javed who was appointed as caretaker of the Pakistan team after Gary Kiersten was sacked from the position.  Even the red ball tenure was also given to him when Jason Gillespie resigned from his post, under his guidance Pakistan beat England 2-1 which ultimately cemented him. 

But the recent depature in CT will change everything. Even it will be hard for the board to acquire new coaches as of frequent changes, There will be a revamp for players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saheen Afridi who can be sidelined from the team for a while to give chance to upcoming players who are waiting for their chance. 

Read More: Axar Patel Can Became The Next Big Player For India

Salman Ali Aga Becomes The New T20 Captain

PCB has shuffled its approach and taken a chance to revamp the team. Soon Pakistan going to play against New Zealand for 5 5-match T20 series and 3 3-match ODI series. For the ODI series Mohammad Rizwan is once again attained as the captain but in T20 Salman Ali Aga has been announced as captain and Shadab Khan announced as vice-captain. In his recent press meet Salman Ali Aga addressed the gathering and said he is honoured that he will be leading the Pakistan side. 

Which is a new challenge for him, he urged that my task is to get players to play fearless and high-risk cricket,". He claimed that in that process they will face failures, T20 has developed more and in this era we have to play fearlessly, we need to play with a different mindset and selected players will not be dropped with certain failures. We have to develop the quality of players and have to give confidence to them. As the Asia Cup is nearing we are gearing up a player pool of 24-25 players so that there won't be any difficulty shortly. 

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has asked for continuity in the team’s
captaincy to achieve better results after reports came on Shaheen Afridi’s role as T20I skipper is going in jeopardy. However, Afridi took over the reins as Pakistan’s T20I captain at the end of last year after Babar Azam stepped down.

But, he didn’t have a good series as he led the side in the lone series against New Zealand, where they suffered a 1-4 defeat. After that, the Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars faced a last-place finish in the ongoing 2024 PSL, winning only one of their ten games.

Shadab Khan backs Shaheen Afridi

While speaking at the post-match press conference after Islamabad United’s
win to advance to the grand finale, their captain Shadab Khan shared the complexities in Pakistan’s captaincy as well.

“Even now, look, we’ve given Shaheen a series, and we’re contemplating changing his captaincy. It shouldn’t be like this because in the long term, one should be given a chance to captain properly according to his process, his method. Because we want to experiment, win series as well, which could lead to issues,” said Shadab.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

However, Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as T20I captain came on the back of his successfully leading the Qalandars to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 as well.
Pakistan’s next T20I assignment is a five-match series against New Zealand at home, followed by a four-match T20I series against England before the World
Cup in June as well.

“Whenever you bring someone in, things can’t change immediately” – Shadab Khan

However, Shadab Khan also requested adequate time for a new captain,
allowing him to learn rather than looking for immediate results as well. Before Afridi, Babar Azam led the T20I side, winning 42 of his 71 games as well. He also led the team in the semi-final and final of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups.

“Whenever you bring someone in, things can’t change immediately. It takes time. We want many things to change immediately, but that’s not how it works; it’s a process. In this process, there are mostly failures in the beginning, and it’s important to see how we accept those failures. A captain has his own thought process, and right now, it’s unclear because discussions about changing the captain after just one series. With the World Cup, I think we need to identify players for the long run so that by the time we reach the World Cup, our issues are resolved,” he concluded.

Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan recently opened up on their performances ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He shared a fun response when he was asked about whether Pakistani cricketers are having Hyderabadi biriyani. Shadab, who was the stand-in captain in the warm-up match against Australia in World Cup 2023, cheekily said that the Pakistani players have been slow because of consuming the popular Indian food item on a ‘daily’ basis as well.

“We are eating it daily, and perhaps that is why we are getting a bit slow (laughs),” Shadab was quoted as saying.

However, Pakistan will go into the World Cup after losing both their warm-up matches against New Zealand and the Australia as well. In both games, Pakistan managed to score more than 300 runs but failed to secure victory. Against the Aussies, they were bowled out for 337 in 47.4 overs while chasing a target of 352.

Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz scored 90, 83 and 50 respectively, but their efforts went in vain as others failed to contribute. Hasan Ali and Usama Mir tried their best before Marnus Labuschagne removed the former to seal the deal as well.

“Our attitude was good, result not in our hands” – Shadab Khan

However, Shadab wasn’t worried after they ended up on the losing side. He was happy with the ‘attitude’ of the players in the games as well.

“Result is not important. We took a lot of positives. Our attitude was good, result not in our hands. I think our 11 is sorted, we just wanted to give time to the bench to show their skills. When you play against Australia and New Zealand, you get confidence. We got a little bit experience of conditions [in Hyderabad],” he further added.

Pakistan will play their opening match against Scott Edwards’ Netherlands on Friday, October 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Shadab Khan, Pakistan’s stand-in skipper and all-rounder, believes that his team’s series loss to Afghanistan will have a lot of positive effects. He also believes that the consistent efforts of experienced absentees Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will be appreciated more when they return to the national setup.

At Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Afghanistan stunned Pakistan by winning for the second time and winning the three-match T20I series

A number of players with fewer experience and credentials were given a chance to shine in the absence of the ultra-reliable top-order pair, so Babar and Rizwan were rested for the three-game series against Afghanistan in Sharjah.

Afghanistan won their first series victory over their Asian rival with a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Pakistan on Sunday despite the results of the first two games not going according to plan.

During Pakistan’s first two matches against Afghanistan, Babar and Rizwan’s usual stability early in the innings has been lacking, and Shadab believes that too many people take the performances of the experienced duo for granted.

“People criticise Babar and Rizwan regardless of whether they perform or not. There is always a sword hanging over them of strike rate. As a nation, we wanted youngsters to come in international cricket, as they were performing in PSL (Pakistan Super League), so we thought they would play with a better strike rate,”

Shadab said as quoted by ICC after the match.

“But finally, our nation will realise that experience matters and our seniors did not get the respect they deserved considering their performances. So after this series, they will get a lot more respect from the media and the nation,”

added Shadab.

In Sunday’s match, Pakistan made a meager 130/6 from 20 overs and lost three wickets in the first four overs. They were always on the back foot. Pakistan were able to reach this modest total thanks to the contributions of Shadab (32 off 25 balls with three fours) and Imad Wasim (64* off 57 balls with three fours and two sixes). After Pakistan was reduced to 63/5, the two of them put together a 67-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Afghanistan’s pick of the bowlers was Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/19). Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, and Naveen-ul-Haq each received one loss.

Shadab was left to wonder what might have been if his team had been able to post a slightly larger total as Afghanistan pursued that victory target with just one delivery remaining. Both Ibrahim Zadran (38 off 40 balls with three fours) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44 off 49 balls with two fours and a six) made notable contributions for Afghanistan.

For Pakistan, Zaman Khan and Insanullah each took a wicket.

“When you lose three wickets in powerplay, you lose 70 per cent of the games…the young players were nervous. They are playing for the first time for Pakistan, but we have to back them. Our motive for this series was to check out talented young players and we have to back them in the future,”

concluded Shadab.

With Pakistan trailing by 2-0 in the series, the third and final Twenty20 International will be played in Sharjah on Monday. They had fallen six wickets short in the first match.