Haris Rauf will play for Pakistan in the 2025 edition of the Asia Cup, which is set to be played from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In the eight-team tournament, Pakistan are clubbed with India, UAE and Oman in Group A. In this year’s Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan will open their campaign on September 12 against Oman in Dubai and then take on arch-rivals India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 14. Pakistan last played a T20I match against India on June 9, 2024, in New York during the T20 World Cup but failed to chase down the target of 120 runs. In this year’s Asia Cup, if India and Pakistan finish in the top two of Group A, then they will face each other once again in the Super Fours. Ahead of the start of the Asia Cup 2025, Rauf has made a bold claim. In a video going viral on the internet, a fan can be seen asking Rauf about the possibility of Pakistan playing India twice in the tournament. “Dono apne hai, Inshallah,” (Both matches are ours, God willing), says confident Rauf in reply. Haris Rauf on Pakistan vs India. ??? pic.twitter.com/1nywqFxGou — Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 24, 2025 Rauf, who is Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is (120 wickets in 87 matches), has played a total of five T20Is against India so far and picked up seven wickets. In the Asia Cup, Haris has played two matches against India in 2022 but was only able to take one wicket. No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad Former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will not play for Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025. Babar and Rizwan were not picked by PCB selectors in the 17-member squad. Babar and Rizwan last played a T20I match for the Men in Green in December 2024 against South Africa. In addition to Babar and Rizwan, pacer Naseem Shah and all-rounders Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed were also ignored by the selection committee. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha will captain the Pakistani team, and the squad includes the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, among others. Pakistan last won the Asia Cup in 2012 under Misbah-ul-Haq’s leadership. In 2023, Pakistan failed to qualify for the finals.