Pakistan and India will face each other in the Asian Games 2026 final, where they will battle for the gold medal. At a glance, one can deem India to be the favourites for many reasons. For one, they have a more experienced team than what Pakistan have sent to Japan. India also have had a historic dominance over their arch-rivals, with Pakistan not winning a single game against India since 2022.
But Ishan Kishan, who scored 80 runs in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, thinks it foolish to let that understate Pakistan, especially their bowling, teeming with spin options.
“Pakistan are also a spinner-friendly team. At the same time, you know, you just don’t think about what’s going to happen after two days,” said Ishan Kishan.
“You just keep calm, you play your shots, you are in the moment and just enjoy those crunch moments.”
Pakistan’s spin options
Arafat Minhas is one, and definitely a pretty decent one. Minhas made his T20I debut in the previous edition of the Asian Games, where he also ended up as Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker. He has played only one T20I game since then, but his outings in white-ball cricket generally are a testament to the fact that he could prove to be quite useful in the Asian Games.
Earlier this year, he had the Australian team gasping for air on his ODI debut as he bagged a five-wicket haul. In the PSL, playing for Multan Sultans, Minhas grabbed nine wickets in as many games. On top of that, he can also be counted on for some handy late-innings runs.
Sufyan Moqim will be another of Pakistan’s lethal spin weapons. He has brought a slew of evidence of his brilliance from his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) stint. He grabbed 12 wickets in five games, including two four-fers, both in knockout games. Moqim was also the highest wicket-taker in the PSL, taking 22 scalps across 11 innings.
In his 19-game T20I career so far, Moqim has been one of the most consistent bowlers for Pakistan, in terms of taking wickets. He is currently the joint-second-highest wicket-taker in T20s this year, having taken 62 wickets at an incredible average of just 15.98.
Abrar and Saim lead the attack
Besides the two, they have more experienced options including Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub. While Abrar had a forgettable start to the competition in the semi-final, his ability to spin his way into the game can never be downplayed. Saim, meanwhile, might seem to be a part-time option on paper but he was wrecker-in-chief for Pakistan with the ball in the Asia Cup last year.
But a brimming spin department hardly means Pakistan’s worries are delusional. They have a team like India to face, and even if the pressure and hype that comes along with it are left out, facing a team like India in T20Is is a pretty daunting task in itself.
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