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Is Shaheen Afridi Still India's Biggest Threat In 2025 Or Just Overhyped? Stats Decoded!

Akshita Patel

Shaheen Afridi's past record vs India revealed [Source: @Mirshanofficial, @Cric_records45/X.com]Shaheen Afridi's past record vs India revealed [Source: @Mirshanofficial, @Cric_records45/X.com]

Shaheen Shah Afridi, a name haunting India in white-ball formats since his debut in 2018, will be leading Pakistan’s pace attack in the Asia Cup 2025. His first real Test will be against the men in blue on September 14.

Amid critical political relations, the two countries will compete in the Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash scheduled at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, how real is Afridi’s infamous ‘new ball’ threat vs India?

Shaheen Afridi’s Past Record Vs India

Let’s time-travel a little to understand how Shaheen Afridi became such a lethal weapon against India. Back in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he rammed into India’s top order, dismissing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the powerplay. He also ended Virat Kohli’s 57-run resistance to complete a three-wicket-haul.

In the 2023 Asia Cup, held in ODI format, Afridi once again left Rohit and Kohli in shambles to pick up a 4-wicket-haul. Overall, Shaheen has 13 wickets vs India in just 8 white-ball games.

Shaheen Afridi’s Key Strengths

  • Deadly New-Ball Swing – He gets movement both ways with the new ball at a high pace, making him a nightmare for top-order batters. His inswinging yorker to right-handers is his trademark.
  • Raw Pace & Bounce – At a towering 6'6", Shaheen gets additional bounce out of most deliveries, compelling batters into errors.
  • Big-Match Temperament – He thrives on the big stage. No matter whether it is the T20 World Cup 2021 series versus India or Asia Cup games, he has stepped up to the challenge.
  • Wicket-Taking Ability in Powerplay – He almost always delivers early breakthroughs, dismissing opposition openers and shifting the momentum.
  • Deadly Yorkers at the Death – Aside from the new ball, Shaheen is deadly at the death overs with aggressive yorkers and slow balls.
  • Left-Arm Angle Advantage – India historically struggles more against left-arm pacers, and Shaheen's angle makes him even more difficult to navigate.

Indian Batters' Record Vs Left-Arm Pacers

Shaheen Afridi’s fundamental weapon is his left-arm angle, which Indian batters mostly struggle with. Shubman Gill has been dismissed 10 times by left-arm pacers in his international career. 

Sanju Samson also has fallen thrice with an abysmal average, while captain Suryakumar Yadav has kneeled down against left-arm pacers 18 times in ODIs and T20Is combined. 

When India’s star-studded top order is highly vulnerable to the left-arm angle, Shaheen Afridi is bound to have success.

Will Shaheen Afridi Dominate India In The Asia Cup 2025 Clash?

Considering Shaheen Afridi’s previous record and Indian batters’ struggle against left-arm pacers, one would believe the Pakistani speedster will triumph in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 encounter.

However, Afridi’s recent form suggests otherwise. In 2025, he has just 8 wickets in 10 T20Is with a 33.62 average. In his last 4 T20I appearances, Afridi picked up 4 wickets while also going wicketless vs Afghanistan in a tri-series match.

Not only that, but in the last 15 months, Afridi has been dropped time and again from the T20I set-up over inconsistencies and a sharp dip in form, especially with the new ball. He was dropped as Pakistan's T20I captain after just 1 series defeat vs New Zealand in 2024.

In conclusion, while  Afridi has historically dominated India, the 2025 Asia Cup encounter could be different. With India’s batting order packed with aggressive hitters like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, Shaheen Afridi will likely have to work hard to justify his hype.