Former Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra has dismissed suggestions that Pakistan could pose a serious threat to India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 final, asserting that the gap in quality between the two teams is too wide to ignore.
India, unbeaten in the tournament so far, enter Sunday’s title clash in Dubai as heavy favourites. While some recall the painful 2017 Champions Trophy defeat as a reminder not to underestimate Pakistan, Mishra is convinced history won’t repeat itself.
“They don’t have the quality. There are a lot of differences in cricket between the two sides. They need to tick too many boxes to beat India. The only thing they are better at is talking. In terms of strategy, batting, or bowling, they are not close to us,” Mishra told ANI.
However, the 42-year-old warned India against complacency, especially in the field. “India is dropping three to four catches every match. It is rare to still win after dropping so many. Fielding needs to improve, or it could hurt in the final,” he cautioned.
Mishra also praised the explosive form of opener Abhishek Sharma, who has notched up three consecutive half-centuries. “Earlier, he was just getting starts, but now he’s converting them into big scores. In T20Is, when a set batter stays long at the crease, it changes the game,” Mishra said.
On India’s middle-order concerns, Mishra downplayed the issue, noting the team’s flexibility in rotating players like Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube higher up the order to prepare them for crunch situations. He highlighted India’s balance, with contributions spread across the batting lineup and all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Dube stepping up when required.
With India looking sharp in all departments—aside from fielding lapses—Mishra believes the Men in Blue are primed to extend their dominance over Pakistan and clinch their third successive win in this edition of the Asia Cup.
