“There is no like-for-like replacement” - Former opener’s big statement on Axar Patel’s injury ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match

Former opener Aakash Chopra gave India a reality check amid question marks over all-rounder Axar Patel’s availability for the high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 Super4 clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. The cricketer-turned-analyst wants the Men in Blue to include one of the pacers from Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana if the left-arm spinner misses out of the next game because there is no like-for-like replacement like Krunal Pandya.

Notably, Axar suffered a blow to the head while attempting a catch against Oman in the last group-stage match.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo's YouTube channel, Chopra said on the eve of the Indo-Pak Asia Cup 2025 Super4 match:

“2:14 – He [Axar Patel] is a two-skills player, bats and bowls as well. Very valuable, in my view, you have to bring a bowler, but now there is no like-for-like replacement. There is no such player. If Krunal Pandya had been part of the team, then we would have said that if Axar goes out, then Krunal can come in. But currently, the players who are sitting out include two fast bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Let’s leave out the last match. Let’s look at the previous XI because that’s the original XI.” “2:40 - Neither Arshdeep nor Rana was playing; you have to bring one of them in XI. You can’t look at a batter because you are in search of four overs between Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Abhishek Sharma. You try to get four overs from them. Now even Axar’s four overs are gone, so you need to bring in a bowler. So, in my view, a left-armer would come in for a left-arm and pacer in place of a spinner,” he added.

Arshdeep Singh and Harshit played their last games against Oman in the Asia Cup. The duo shared one wicket apiece. Arshdeep, in particular, became the first Indian to bag 100 T20I wickets. With Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy set to return to the playing XI, one of Arshdeep and Rana will have to miss out.

Meanwhile, it's worth mentioning that Baroda all-rounder Krunal Pandya played his last T20I against Sri Lanka in 2021. The 34-year-old helped the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lift their maiden IPL trophy in 2025. The left-arm spinner bagged 17 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 8.23. The left-hander also scored 109 runs in seven innings, with the best score of an unbeaten 73 off 47 balls against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Defending champions India favorites to beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super4 clash

The Suryakumar Yadav-led India are the favorites to beat Pakistan again in the Asia Cup 2025. The defending champions are coming on the back of a hat-trick of wins against the UAE, Pakistan, and Oman by nine wickets, seven wickets, and 21 runs, respectively.

In head-to-head T20I contests between the two teams, the Men in Blue lead the Men in Green by 10:3, including a tie. Pakistan secured their last win against India in the 2022 Asia Cup. Since then, Team India have registered a hat-trick of wins against the neighboring nation, including victories at the 2022 and the 2024 T20 World Cups.

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Edited by James Kuanal