The 2025 Asia Cup is drawing near, with the tournament set to commence on September 9th. This edition promises to be distinct from its predecessor, not only due to a change in format, but also because several prominent players will be absent. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from T20 cricket, and Pakistani stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will also miss the tournament, having not been selected. Consequently, the responsibility of leading the Pakistani team and striving for championship glory falls upon a captain who doesn’t yet have a significant international reputation.
Salman Ali Agha, an all-rounder who has been part of the Pakistani team for the past 2-3 years, was announced as captain by the Pakistan Cricket Board on August 17th for the Asia Cup. He made his T20 debut in November 2024 and has now been appointed as the team’s captain this year. Throughout his brief career, Salman has yet to achieve feats that have granted him widespread recognition in international cricket.
As a right-handed batsman and off-spinner, Salman bats in the middle order for Pakistan. In 20 T20 matches for Pakistan, he has scored 380 runs at an average of 27 and a modest strike rate of 115, including 3 half-centuries. He has also taken 4 wickets. Salman’s overall T20 career isn’t particularly impressive either, with 1668 runs scored in 105 T20 matches at a strike rate of 120, and only 44 wickets to his name.
Despite these statistics, Salman will be leading the Pakistani team against India in the upcoming tournament. However, he has not played any matches against India in this format. He has played 3 ODIs against India, including 2 matches in the 2023 Asia Cup, in which he scored only 42 runs.
In one of these matches, Ravindra Jadeja inflicted a physical blow on Salman. During a match on September 11th, Salman attempted a sweep shot off Jadeja’s bowling. However, he wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time, and the ball struck him in the face. This caused a deep wound and a flow of blood. As a result, Salman was unable to participate in the subsequent matches.