The build-up to the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash between India and Pakistan has once again been overshadowed by off-field controversy. Ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise has stirred debate by leaving out India from its matchday poster for the second time in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Karachi Kings (Photo: @KarachiKingsARY on X)
Earlier, Karachi Kings had posted a chess-themed graphic on social media featuring Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha seated at the board, while India’s spot was deliberately shown as a black silhouette.The move immediately drew comparisons with the Punjab Kings, who also avoided naming Pakistan in their own match announcement, sparking backlash online. Following heated reactions, Karachi Kings disabled comments on their X handle.India outplayed Pakistan in their group-stage meeting, comfortably chasing down 128 runs after Kuldeep Yadav’s match-winning spell of 3/18. That clash also ended in tense scenes, with captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube declining to shake hands with their opponents and instead dedicating the victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian Armed Forces. Despite the external controversies, anticipation for the cricket remains sky-high. Both India and Pakistan began their Asia Cup campaigns with strong wins, and the possibility of multiple face-offs between the arch-rivals keeps fans and broadcasters on edge. As always, when India and Pakistan meet, the drama promises to extend far beyond the boundary lines.India vs Pakistan sqaudsIndia: Suyakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
