Abhishek Sharma and Saim Ayub (Source: AFP)
Abhishek Sharma is the number one T20I batter in the world now, and when he gets going, he can completely destroy the opposition team. He looked in great touch in the opening game of the Asia Cup 2025 against the UAE and made his intentions clear on the very first with a flamboyant six.
Pakistan Likely To Use Saim Ayub In Powerplay
Thus, he would be a big threat to Pakistan in the Powerplay, and they would have to find a way to get rid of the Indian youngster. Shaheen Afridi would be looking to knock him down from one end with his new ball movement, while Pakistan might use Saim Ayub's off-break from the other end.
Saim Ayub has been consistently bowling with the new ball in the last few series, and in the first game against Oman, too, he was pretty successful. He got rid of both the openers in the first few overs, and thus, Salman Ali Agha might trust Ayub against the dangerous Abhishek Sharma too.
Also, there is a general perception that left-handers struggle against off-break bowlers as they take the ball away from them. Therefore, let's now see how Abhishek Sharma has performed against off-spinners in his career.
How Has Abhishek Sharma Performed Against Off-Spinners?
In international cricket, Abhishek Sharma's record against off-spinners is a mixed bag so far. He has been aggressive as always, but has lost his wicket three times in 46 balls he has faced. The dot percentage is also over 40, which shows that Abhishek Sharma has been a bit vulnerable against off-spinners at the international level.
However, it is important to understand that Abhishek Sharma has not played a lot at the international level, and thus, the sample size is on the lower side. In IPL and domestic T20s though, the batter has shown his dominance against off-spinners. He has scored runs at a strike-rate of close to 180 and has hit 51 boundaries in 209 balls.
The dot percentage also goes down significantly to 23 per cent, and overall, his average shows that the left-hander has not been troubled much by off-spinners.
Abhishek Sharma vs Off-Spinners: T20Is vs T20s
| Criterion | T20Is | T20s |
| Runs | 74 | 374 |
| Balls | 46 | 209 |
| Outs | 3 | 8 |
| Average | 24.7 | 46.8 |
| Strike-Rate | 160.9 | 178.9 |
| 4s/6s | 8/4 | 27/24 |
| Dot Percentage | 41.3 | 23.4 |
Thus, based on the stats against off-spinners and Abhishek Sharma's overall game, it is clear that the batter would go after Saim Ayub. Also, Saim Ayub is a part-time spinner, so Abhishek Sharma would be looking to attack him even more and fetch as many runs as possible.
However, his risky game also provides an opportunity for Pakistan, and if Saim Ayub manages to win the battle, it would be a big boost for the Men in Green early in the innings.
However, if Abhishek Sharma gets it right, he could take India off to a flier, and that could prove fatal for Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha would then be forced to try out something different and help India put Pakistan in a panic mode early in a pressure game.
Conclusion:
Ahead of the game, it is Abhishek Sharma who has an edge given his form and batting record in T20s against off-spinners. Also, Saim Ayub being a part time spinner could end up bowling loose deliveries once Abhishek starts attacking and it could go in India's favour.
