Asia Cup 2025: Top five Pakistani players who will be under the spotlight

When Pakistan announced their squad for Asia Cup 2025, showcasing their intention of stepping out of the shadows of their senior players, many thought it would take the men in green some time before they walked into any big tournament as the favourites. However, the Salman Agha-led side has proved the critics wrong with their recent performances, showcasing that they have the ability to make a comeback from any situation against any team to win the match.

 

In the ongoing Asia Cup, Pakistan will start their campaign against Oman on Friday, September 12, and will be taking the field as one of the favourites to win the tournament. The team possesses a string of talented players who can surprise everyone with their skills in turning the tide of a match. Today we will talk about five such players who fans need to look out for in the tournament. But who are they? Take a look. 

 

1. Saim Ayub

Probably one of the fastest-rising players in the Pakistani team, Saim Ayub has caught everyone’s attention ever since he made his debut. Ayub has the ability to play both aggressive and sensible cricket with the bat, depending on the situation, making him one of the biggest wickets in Pakistan’s batting line-up. However, that’s not all—Ayub also has the capability to win matches with the ball while bowling in any phase of the game, be it the powerplay, middle overs or death overs. The Pakistani team will have high hopes from the youngster when it takes the field in the Asia Cup 2025, starting Friday against Oman.  Check IND vs UAE LIVE SCORE UPDATES Asia Cup 2025 and full scorecard here

Saim Ayub T20I stats:

T20I Batting Stats

• Matches: 41
• Innings: 39 | Not Outs: 2
• Runs: 816
• Highest Score: 98*
• Batting Average: 22.05
• Strike Rate: 136.45
• 50s: 4 | 100s: 0
• Fours: 86 | Sixes: 36
• Catches: 19

T20I Bowling Stats

• Matches: 41 | Innings: 16
• Balls Bowled: 222 (37 overs)
• Wickets: 8
• Best Bowling: 2/20
• Bowling Average: 33.12
• Economy Rate: 7.16
• Strike Rate: 27.7

2. Fakhar Zaman

One of the most experienced players in Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, the 35-year-old Fakhar Zaman has proved to his team management that he has all the skills to thrive in the fast-paced playing style of modern T20 cricket that Pakistan is aiming for. In the current set-up, he has been given the duty of batting at number 3. His role is to build a partnership when Pakistan lose an early wicket, or continue the attacking momentum if they get off to a fiery start—and he is doing his job mighty well. He was a little off colour before the team was announced, but in the recently concluded T20 tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan, Fakhar got himself back in form, showing why the team management has so much faith in him.

Fakhar Zaman T20I stats:

T20I Batting Stats

• Matches: 102
• Innings: 94 | Not Outs: 4
• Runs: 2104
• Highest Score: 91
• Batting Average: 23.37
• Strike Rate: 132.24
• 50s: 12 | 100s: 0
• Fours: 200 | Sixes: 83
• Catches: 56

T20I Bowling Stats

• Matches: 102 | Innings: 1
• Balls Bowled: 6 (1 over)
• Wickets: 0
• Runs Conceded: 12
• Best Bowling: –
• Economy Rate: 12.00

3. Md Nawaz

One of the best things about the current Pakistan squad is the number of all-rounders they have who can turn the tide of matches on their own—and Md Nawaz is one such player for the men in green. Bowling economically and taking wickets despite usually starting his spell in the powerplay, Md Nawaz has become Pakistan’s lead spinner. His ability to play big shots towards the end of the innings with the bat has established him as one of the team’s most crucial players for the Asia Cup 2025 campaign.

Md Nawaz T20I stats:

T20I Batting Stats

• Matches: 71
• Innings: 48 | Not Outs: 13
• Runs: 638
• Highest Score: 45*
• Batting Average: 18.22
• Strike Rate: 132.64
• 50s: 0 | 100s: 0
• Fours: 46 | Sixes: 34
• Catches: 30

T20I Bowling Stats

• Matches: 71 | Innings: 68
• Balls Bowled: 1304 (217.2 overs)
• Wickets: 70
• Best Bowling: 5/19
• Bowling Average: 22.55
• Economy Rate: 7.26
• Strike Rate: 18.6
• 4-wicket hauls: 0 | 5-wicket hauls: 1

4. Sufiyaan Muqeem

Given the wicket conditions of the UAE, spinners take priority in any squad. If you have a good bunch of spinners in your side, you can always turn the tide of the match. Sufiyaan Muqeem has been doing this for Pakistan for quite some time now. Sufiyaan’s best bowling record of five wickets while conceding just three runs against Zimbabwe shows how in sync he is with his abilities, and if he turns up in his best form in Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan will become the team to beat.

Sufiyaan Muqeem T20I stats:

T20I Batting Stats

• Matches: 17
• Innings: 10 | Not Outs: 6
• Runs: 16
• Highest Score: 7*
• Batting Average: 4.00
• Strike Rate: 76.19
• 50s: 0 | 100s: 0
• Fours: 1 | Sixes: 0
• Catches: 4

T20I Bowling Stats

• Matches: 17 | Innings: 17
• Balls Bowled: 345 (57.3 overs)
• Wickets: 25
• Best Bowling: 5/3
• Bowling Average: 14.48
• Economy Rate: 6.29
• Strike Rate: 13.8
• 4-wicket hauls: 0 | 5-wicket hauls: 1

5. Salman Agha

If we are talking about Pakistani players to look out for in the Asia Cup 2025, it is pretty hard to miss their new skipper Salman Agha, who, ever since taking the helm, has transformed the side completely. He possesses a sharp cricketing brain and knows the ability of his teammates inside out. You will often see him making changes in the batting and bowling line-up according to the situation to help his team win. Pakistan’s 75-run victory over Afghanistan in the UAE tri-series final while defending a total of just 141 is proof of that.

 

Alongside his captaincy skills, Salman has proved his worth as a batter, adding crucial runs while batting at number four whenever the team requires his services. He can also bowl decent spin, making him a complete package for the men in green.

Salman Agha T20I stats:

T20I Batting Stats

• Matches: 25
• Innings: 23 | Not Outs: 5
• Runs: 489
• Highest Score: 56
• Batting Average: 27.16
• Strike Rate: 116.42
• 50s: 4 | 100s: 0
• Fours: 43 | Sixes: 15
• Catches: 9

T20I Bowling Stats

• Matches: 25 | Innings: 9
• Balls Bowled: 84 (14 overs)
• Wickets: 4
• Best Bowling: 1/7
• Bowling Average: 26.25
• Economy Rate: 7.50
• Strike Rate: 21.0
• 4-wicket hauls: 0 | 5-wicket hauls: 0