Pakistan faces a must-win clash against the UAE in Asia Cup 2025, but history is not on their side. Despite being favorites on paper, Pakistan’s previous encounters with the UAE in T20Is have been dominant, with Pakistan winning all three matches. While the pressure is on them to secure a victory and keep their Super 4 hopes alive, the UAE will look to turn the tables and cause a major upset at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan started their campaign with a solid 93-run win over Oman but then suffered a 7-wicket loss to India. Young opener Saim Ayub has been in the spotlight, but two back-to-back golden ducks have put pressure on Pakistan’s top order. Senior batsmen Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha will need to step up. Pakistan’s spinners are expected to play a key role, while the bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, will aim to dominate the UAE batsmen.
On the other side, the UAE had a tough start against India but bounced back with a 42-run win over Oman. Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem were crucial in their last match, scoring fluent half-centuries and building an 88-run partnership. In bowling, Junaid Siddique shone with a four-wicket haul and will try to trouble Pakistan’s top order. Along with Haider Ali, the UAE attack can challenge Pakistan if they stay disciplined.
Pakistan vs UAE: Head-to-head record
Pakistan has played the UAE three times in T20Is and won all three matches. This 100% win record adds extra pressure on the UAE ahead of this clash.
Pakistan vs UAE: Dubai’s weather and pitch report
The weather in Dubai is forecasted to be hot and humid for the match, with temperatures between 38°C and 40°C at the 8:00 PM IST start. While no rain is expected, the high heat will be a challenge for the players. Humidity is likely to be around 32% during the game.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has hosted four Asia Cup matches so far, with the pitch favoring bowlers. The average first-innings score is around 124, making it tough to post big totals. Interestingly, three of the four games have been won by teams chasing under lights, so the captain who wins the toss might prefer to bowl first.
Pakistan vs UAE: Probable playing XI
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed
UAE: Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah