- By Namrata Vijay
- Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Asia Cup 2025: There's a saying, 'Change is the only constant in nature,' and thus gave human beings a genuine idea as to how every single thing functions on both micro and macro levels in this fast-moving world. Charles Darwin's theory has been proven scientifically and has shown that evolution is the only mechanism responsible for the survival of the fittest. One thing that makes cricket a larger-than-life sport is how it proves these fundamental laws correct.
Cricket, just like any other sport, undergoes constant changes, and this is what the Afghanistan cricket team has undergone brilliantly over the last few years.
Afghanistan's transformation from rookies to maestros
It all began in 2010 when the Afghanistan cricket team was considered as rookies in world cricket. They had participated in the World Cup after winning just four of the six T20Is that they had played. Since India and South Africa gave them a hard time in the West Indies, the Afghanistan cricket team ensured that they had to do things, and that was to change their style of play.
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Their grit and determination were quite evident as they had created a huge upset by defeating West Indies during the 2016 World Cup and made sure that the whole world acknowledged their cricketing brilliance. And they haven't stopped since then.
By winning 86 matches after playing in 141 T20Is, which also includes their historic 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final qualification, they have created their dominance in this format. At the same time, their current form, where they have won 10 of their last 15 matches, has helped them become the dark horses for the upcoming continental tournament.
Battlefields of UAE: Afghans’ favourite hunting ground
The Afghanistan cricket team has a brilliant record in the United Arab Emirates, and it's the same venue where the Asia Cup 2025 will be held. They have won 37 T20I matches of the 55 that they have played here and have just seven matches left.
The surface in the UAE suits their batters, who usually try to keep their scorecard ticking by rotating strike continuously and also by smashing fours.
At the same time, most of the Afghanistan players are quite fit enough to survive the conditions in the UAE, except the Suryakumar Yadav-led side, who take some time to adjust to the heat.
They do boast of a formidable spin attack, which will give the opponent batters a hard time.
The nerves of steel have been developed
As far as the skills are concerned, they do have all the bases covered, which helps them have a dream run during the Asia Cup 2025. But the question remains as to whether their fighting spirit is enough to help them succeed during multi-national tournaments? The answer is yes.
There are a number of incidents where Afghanistan failed to perform during important matches and ended up losing them. Like the 2019 World Cup match against Pakistan or the 2023 World Cup match against Australia, where Glenn Maxwell had put up a super heroic innings, Afghanistan had lost such historic matches by a small margin, and one of the reasons was their failure to perform during important matches.
But things had changed a lot ever since Jonathan Trott became their head coach, and that was the best decision they ever made. The legendary English cricketer, who can play in hostile situations, has shared his never-say-die attitude with the Afghanistan cricket team and helped them become giant slayers.
A challenging chase of 283 runs against Pakistan during the 2023 World Cup and then the 2024 T20 World Cup match against Australia, where they had defeated the 2021 champions, have proved a change in their mindset, and this is what makes them a force to be reckoned with.
A surprise is on the cards for Asian powerhouses
Those days are gone when teams like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were considered the powerhouses during the continental tournament.
Although India and Sri Lanka have been able to maintain their big-boy image alive by keeping up with the demands of modern-day cricket, Pakistan, especially, has slowed down as a cricket team, especially after winning the 2017 Champions Trophy summit clash.
On the other hand, Bangladesh, even after trying a lot, hasn't been able to succeed in the shortest format. But with Afghanistan's cricket rise, it might pose stiff challenges to India and Sri Lanka's dominance, and that will bring a change during the upcoming continental tournament.
The form, fitness, and previous records of Afghanistan players in the UAE don't necessarily mean that they might win the upcoming continental tournament. As a matter of fact, a lot of cricket fans won't be surprised if they win this tournament.
But their brilliant cricketing prowess is a warning to their opponent that they shouldn't take them lightly and might give something to cheer about for their fans, who don't have much apart from cricket to cheer for in life.