Priyank Panchal, in an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, shared his thoughts on the upcoming India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025. He highlighted why Sanju Samson is an ideal fit for the No.5 role, praising the wicketkeeper-batter’s adaptability against both pace and spin.

India vs Pakistan: Cricket Amid Boycott Calls and Rising Tensions

This is probably the first time in years that the build-up to the match between India and Pakistan hasn’t been ideal. Social media is filled with a boycott campaign as fans are not pleased with the Asia Cup 2025 match going ahead despite the terror attack in Pahalgam. Earlier this year, 26 innocent lives were lost in a terror attack in Kashmir, and subsequently, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting the terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Ever since relations soured between the two countries, the BCCI was being asked to boycott playing against Pakistan even in multi-lateral events.

However, fans were caught off guard when the schedule for the Asia Cup was announced. India and Pakistan might square off thrice in the eight-team tournament, provided they qualify for the Super 4s and the final. The group stage match is up first on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium.

Several media reports suggest that ticket sales are not up to the mark, and several seats are still up for grabs. Popular social media accounts have stated they would not cover the contest between the arch-rivals as “the mood of the nation” comes first. Hence, it’s fair to say that the Indian cricketers, led by Suryakumar Yadav, have a lot to ponder.

Earlier this week, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav was criticized on social media just for shaking hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the captain’s press conference before the start of the Asia Cup. Hence, one can only imagine the scrutiny the cricketers will face once the match begins at 8 PM IST.

Looking at the current scenario, it is important to understand how the brain of a cricketer functions amid such noise. Priyank Panchal, the domestic cricket legend who retired earlier this year, shared his insights with Hindustan Times, saying the players can only control the controllables. The 35-year-old former Gujarat batter emphasized that cricketers focus on their next game as that is what lies within their control.

“Whatever noise is there, I think a cricketer is someone who has to follow all the guidelines from the management and everything. So, I think whatever I have seen and whatever I know about cricketers, they always focus on the next game because it’s something that is in their control. So, obviously, all those noises around don’t matter as much to the cricketers because they are there to play,” he stated.

“India are definitely favourites for this Asia Cup, and obviously Pakistan, they don’t have that balanced team. Obviously, we can see so many new faces right now. So, we can definitely see India winning with a good margin. Because what we can see right now in Pakistan, if we just look back over the past 10 years, they were good competitors. If you take Pakistan, Sri Lanka or other countries for the Asia Cup, they were good competitors, but our Indian cricket has grown so much,” he said.

“If you see our team, you see players who can dominate at any level. So, Pakistan and other teams are not at that stage right now. And obviously, thanks to BCCI for giving us that pool. I’ll come back to the domestic circuit, which has given us all those hardships. And because of those hardships, we can see this type of team and that domination factor,” he added.

The Sanju Samson conundrum

Heading into India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener against the United Arab Emirates, it was believed that Jitesh Sharma would get the nod ahead of Sanju Samson, considering the former had more experience batting in the middle order. However, the management opted to stick with Samson, looking at his performance in the past year, where he scored three T20I centuries. This time, Samson has been handed a fresh role—batting at No.5 and finishing games.

The right-hander from Kerala doesn’t have much experience in this slot, but he has received the backing of captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Former India batter Priyank Panchal believes the position suits him well given his strength against spinners.

“I’ve said it before, that he is someone who can fit in the top order as well as in the 4-5 number. Because of the way he bats against fast bowlers in the top order, sometimes I feel that he is ruthless against all those good bowlers. And he also has the capability to counterattack spinners in the middle phase. And later on, also when it comes to finishing the game, finishing our innings, he is someone who can do that. So I don’t see any question regarding his ability at the top order or 4-5 numbers,” Panchal said. He added, “It is completely suitable for him… I think at 5, Sanju is perfect.”

Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, was left out of the UAE clash as Jasprit Bumrah led the pace attack. His return against Pakistan remains a talking point.

“It depends upon the wicket. Obviously, the left-arm fast bowlers thing is very crucial for any team. If the management finds that Arshdeep is suitable and they want to go with a left-arm combination, then obviously, he should be in. But it all depends upon the wicket, and Arshdeep has proved over and over. So, I don’t see any question regarding Arshdeep playing or not,” Panchal noted.