2025 Asia Cup: Top 5 matches of the tournament

By Mohak Hora, Parimatch Sports Analytics Expert

The 2025 Asia Cup competition is underway in the United Arab Emirates, with Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh recording their first wins of the edition. The three aforementioned teams would be hoping to make it to the Super Four Stage along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Oman, who would have similar aspirations of their own.

The continental competition has reverted to the T20 format after being played in the ODI format during the 2023 edition. Most nations would be using this tournament to kick off their preparations for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

With most teams fielding their first-choice playing XIs, the fans wouldn’t dare miss a match, but we have compiled a list of our five picks for the best matches of the tournament. Let’s have a look at the five most anticipated matches of the 2025 Asia Cup:

#5 UAE vs Oman

The two lesser fancied teams from Group B, hosts United Arab Emirates and neighbours Oman, will be going at loggerheads in the only day game of the tournament at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

If either side manages to get a positive result against an insatiable Pakistan side, this match could prove to be the key to the Super Four stage qualification, as India are already being deemed favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament.

The UAE had a good series in the lead-up to the Asia Cup as they ran Afghanistan and Pakistan pretty close in the tri-series, but failed to grab a win in any of their four matches. Skipper Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan impressed by putting runs on the board briskly, while Haider Ali was impactful with the ball in hand.

Oman, on the other hand, has been a rising associate nation for a few years, and if their performance against Pakistan is a measure of things to come, then they can run a few top teams close in the upcoming matches.

#4 Bangladesh vs Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been a rising power in world cricket as the likes of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Fazhalhaq Farooqi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are in demand in the franchise circuit. The Rashid-captained team has caused an upset on many occasions in the last decade, and when the Afghans win against the powerhouses these days, it’s no longer counted as an upset.

On the other hand, Bangladesh has scaled great heights in the last 20 years, with Shakib al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, and Mushfiqur Rahim taking the Bangla Tigers to heights that haven’t been scaled by their nation previously. With youngsters currently being blooded into the side, the experience of skipper Litton Das would be crucial for the 2016 Asia Cup runners-up.

In the 12 T20I meetings between the two teams, Bangladesh have come out on top five times while the Afghan Atlans have won 7 fixtures played between the two sides. All five of the Tigers’ wins have come on home ground, while the Afghans have won against Bangladesh thrice in Dehradun, twice in Mirpur, once in Sharjah, and once in Kingstown.

#3 India vs Sri Lanka

Two favorites to win the 2025 Asia Cup, India and Sri Lanka, are bound to meet in the Super Four stage of the tournament, given that both sides are currently in the top two spots of their respective groups.

While India was the winner of the last edition of the Asia Cup, played in the 50-over format, Sri Lanka won the last Asia Cup that was played in the T20 format. With eight and six titles respectively, India and Sri Lanka are the most successful nations in the competition organised by the ACC.

While the Men in Blue are the reigning World Champions in the T20I format, three of their star players retired after lifting the T20 World Cup. Since then, Suryakumar Yadav has assumed captaincy duties and is faring pretty well in his role as India has defeated Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and England at home while also defeating South Africa 3-1 in their own backyard.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka has had a mixed record in T20Is in the last couple of years as they crashed out of the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 and have lost three T20I series to India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand after the tournament as well.

#2 Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan

While Afghanistan has enjoyed an upsurge in form during the last decade, Sri Lanka has struggled since the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka could only collect 4 points from 9 matches, the same as Bangladesh and the Netherlands, as the three teams were never in contention to qualify for the playoffs.

Afghans, on the other hand, almost knocked out eventual champions Australia from the same tournament and eventually got one over the Kangaroos in the shortest format, as Afghanistan eliminated Australia from the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, where they lost in the semi-final to South Africa.

While the Lankan Lions seem pretty satisfied with their bowling arsenal and top-order batting, their middle-order woes will have to be sorted out if they want to play the final of the ongoing Asia Cup. Afghanistan has a power-packed middle-order, and the battle between the two teams would be enticing, especially with the quality of spin bowling on display.

#1 India vs Pakistan

The most intense rivalry in international cricket, India vs Pakistan, grabs eyeballs like no other sporting event in the Indian subcontinent. When the blue of India meets the green of Pakistan, the whole world sits up to keep a keen eye on the proceedings as stars are born in matches of magnitude like India vs Pakistan.

In the first meeting between the two sides on September 14, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Except for Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, and Shaheen Afridi, none of the Pakistan batters fired as they could only put up 127 runs on the board.

In reply, Abhishek Sharma gave India a brisk start, followed by a long partnership between Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. The Indian skipper hit the winning maximum in the 16th over as the Men in Blue wrapped up the proceedings with 25 balls left in the bag.

In 14 T20I fixtures between the two teams, India has won 10 fixtures while the Shaheens have only been able to win three matches, with one fixture ending in a tie, which was ultimately decided by a bowl-out in the group stage of the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.

If Pakistan do the formalities and bag the win against UAE, the spectators are set for another Sunday match between the two teams in the Super Four stage of the ongoing tournament.

(2025 Asia Cup: Top 5 Matches featuring India vs Pakistan, SL vs Afg, & others; Parimatch Sports Illustration)

Asia Cup 2025, India cricket, Pakistan cricket, Sri Lanka