With the official schedule of the 2025 Asia Cup now finalised, Pakistani fans’ attention has quickly turned to whether their vice-captain Shadab Khan will recover in time for the marquee tournament.
The 26-year-old all-rounder is currently undergoing rehabilitation following surgery on his bowling shoulder in the United Kingdom earlier this month. The procedure had already sidelined him from Pakistan’s T20I series against Bangladesh and the upcoming Caribbean tour.
While the nation had been praying for some better news, all signs point towards Shadab Khan missing the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, dealing a blow to the national side’s T20 plans ahead of a crucial tournament window.
According to reports, medical experts overseeing Shadab’s recovery have advised a minimum three-month rest period. That timeline makes a competitive return before October increasingly unlikely, effectively ruling him out of the continental showpiece scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE.
The PCB has yet to officially confirm his unavailability, but insiders suggest the management is already weighing up backup options, given the injury was to his dominant shoulder. A statement on Shadab’s rehabilitation schedule is expected in the coming weeks.
His absence creates a void in the national T20 side, one that was evident during their series against Bangladesh. Without his contributions with bat and ball, Pakistan failed to deal with the tricky surfaces, suffering a 2-1 series loss. The team is sure to miss his contributions in the Asia Cup, where Shadab Khan has played five matches in the T20 format, all coming in 2022. He has claimed 8 wickets in those games while contributing 54 runs.
Shadab Khan’s absence from the Asia Cup also deprives the team of leadership where his familiarity with pressure situations would have been crucial to Pakistan’s success in games like the one against India.
The question of who will replace him still remains. Mike Hesson has trusted Mohammad Nawaz in a similar role, to underwhelming results so far.
With less than two months to go before the tournament, the clock is ticking for the PCB to finalise its plans, both in terms of personnel and structure, as the national side braces for one of its most intense T20 cycles in recent years.
While Shadab Khan may miss the Asia Cup, the Pakistan cricket team will be glad to welcome their star back before the T20 World Cup next year.
