Robin Uthappa, a former cricket player for India, has blasted Pakistan for giving up to India in the highly awaited Asia Cup 2025 match on September 14 in Dubai. In a match that generated controversy long after it was over, India defeated their bitter rivals by seven wickets.
Pakistan faced a disciplined Indian bowling squad and struggled with the bat from the beginning. Under duress, their batting order broke down, finally scoring just 127 for 9 in 20 overs—a score that was considered much below average for the situation. With seven wickets remaining, the Men in Blue reached the goal in 15.5 overs, barely putting up a fight.
“The excitement will never go away. However, if Pakistani supporters believe they can compete with the current Indian team, they are truly living in denial. They can have all the expectations they want from their team in terms of skill. Pakistan is completely outclassed by this Indian squad. Pakistan refuses to acknowledge that they are currently rebuilding their cricket team. They have had six coach changes since 2023, for heaven’s sake,” Robin Uthappa posted on his YouTube channel.
“And just think of how insecure the group would be if you were to do something like that. Additionally, five of their openers are in the top seven. For the time being, they are entirely incomplete items,” he continued.
The former wicketkeeper-batter was especially disappointed with Pakistan’s drab batting strategy during the intense Asia Cup match.
After falling to 6/2 in the first two overs, Pakistan’s innings got off to a bad start. Temporary respite was offered by a short 39-run stand, but the collapse quickly returned. Pakistan had little chance of scoring a competitive score against India after being humiliated at 64/6 by the 13th over.
“I thought the Pakistani squad lacked control and a clear plan for how they were going to score runs when I watched them bat yesterday. The insanity had no rhyme or pattern. Knowing that there may be ups and downs during an innings, there was no process-oriented approach,” Robin Uthappa added.
“There were thirty-one dot balls in the first eight overs. It gives you the impression that the coaching team hasn’t done anything process-oriented with them. He continued, “Only God knows what that coaching staff is doing.”
Pakistan would be eliminated from the competition if they lost their next match against the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, in the forthcoming do-or-die match, which is scheduled for September 17 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Salman Ali Agha-led team will be aiming to give it their all.