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"Even B Team Will Thrash Them": Wassan Feels India Don't Need Legends To Beat Pakistan

Akshita Patel

India to face Pakistan in Asia Cup match on September 14 [Source: @dhillow_, @HashTagCricket/X.com]India to face Pakistan in Asia Cup match on September 14 [Source: @dhillow_, @HashTagCricket/X.com]

The build-up to the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 has taken an interesting twist following a stark claim by former India bowler Atul Wassan. He claimed that even without stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s current squad is so strong that even a "B team" could comfortably beat Pakistan. 

India have been in extraordinary form since the end of the 2024 T20 World Cup, where both Kohli and Rohit stepped away from the shortest format. 

Despite their absence, the men in blue have dominated the format, winning 18 out of their last 21 games. Historically, India’s record against Pakistan in ICC or regional events has been spotless as well.

Atul Wassan Counts India As Favourites To Win Vs Pakistan

Ahead of the India-Pakistan 2025 Asia Cup encounter, former cricketer Atul Wassan, talking to CNN 18, deemed Pakistan a ‘weak’ team. He believes that India’s richness in producing quality talent in the T20 format makes them nearly unbeatable at present.

“India’s B team will also beat this Pakistan team because things have changed. When we played in the 90s, they were a very good side. Now the boot is on the other foot," Wassan said.

He further added that the men in blue don’t need legends like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli to tackle an inexperienced Pakistan squad, as times have drastically changed.

"I will not miss Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) because then I will start missing Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev also. The king is dead, long live the king. Things move, new superstars come in, and this embarrassment of riches, and I feel sorry for the selectors because to keep everyone in the mix because who’s to drop and who’s to pick,” he added.

India’s depth has been evident in recent matches, with youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad stepping up in crucial games. 

The bowling department, too, has discovered new match-winners in the form of Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, who have replaced senior players to good effect.

Pakistan’s Shortcomings Exposed Ahead Of India Clash

Meanwhile, Pakistan, led by Salman Agha, face the challenge of proving they can compete against India’s stacked line-up. In their opening Asia Cup 2025 game against Oman, highly rated players like Saim Ayub and captain Agha himself were dismissed on golden ducks. 

Barring Mohammad Haris (66), no batter was able to hit a half-century. They struggled against Oman spinners, which is a bad sign considering the quality spin attack of India that awaits them on Sunday.