Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim showered praise on India’s premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of their Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 14. He highlighted a few individual matchups he is eager to watch, including Shaheen Shah Afridi’s battle with Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Speaking about Bumrah, Karim stated that he sees no real contest against the seasoned pacer. He further remarked that, considering the overall strength and quality of the Indian side, the Men in Blue should comfortably come out on top in the encounter.
“The first battle I am looking forward to is Shaheen Shah Afridi versus Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. Then how Kuldeep bowls in the middle overs. I will not talk about Bumrah because there will be no contest in front of him. Pakistan will at least want to compete. It is a given that India should win and we are expecting to see a large gap. Because India have a lot of quality, we hope they will win this,” he said on Sony Sports Network. (0:53)
In the same discussion, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan offered a contrasting perspective. Unlike Saba Karim, who predicted a comfortable win for the defending champions, Irfan anticipated a tightly contested match.
“Close encounter. Because the last two encounters that have happened, the 2022 World Cup was close and it went to the last ball. The encounter at the last World Cup was also close. Bumrah was the hero there. I hope India wins a close contest,” he stated. (1:49)
“India Clearly The Stronger Side” – Ajay Jadeja Ahead Of Clash Against Pakistan
Additionally, former batter Ajay Jadeja expressed that Suryakumar Yadav’s side holds a clear advantage. He noted that while the match could have a few unexpected moments, the outcome is likely to favour Suryakumar Yadav and his team.
“We don’t know what the new players from Pakistan will do. But we know the level of our players and the way they play. There maybe some surprise. Surprise only in the game, I am not talking about the result. India is a way superior side,” he said. (2:39) (via the aforementioned source)
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