India vs Pakistan Set for Explosive Asia Cup 2025 Final in Dubai
India vs Pakistan Set for Explosive Asia Cup 2025 Final in Dubai
India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 FINAL: India is set to clash with Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Final on 28th September in Dubai. Undefeated India, boasting Abhishek Sharma's explosive form and Kuldeep Yadav's wicket-taking prowess. Pakistan has faced batting struggles and relies heavily on its pacers.
It’s been 41 years since the first Asia Cup in 1984, but finally, India and Pakistan are meeting in the tournament’s grand final. They’ve already faced each other twice in this edition, with India winning both games comfortably. But the cricket has often taken a backseat to off-field tensions—no handshakes, heated exchanges, and gestures linked to the military conflict between the two countries earlier this year.
This Sunday’s final is more than just a cricket match. Political tensions have added pressure on both teams. India followed government advice and refused to shake hands with Pakistan, which led to ICC hearings and fines for both sides. The atmosphere has been tense, and the spotlight is as much on the players’ behaviour as it is on their performance.
Despite India’s strong run, including two big wins over Pakistan, captain Suryakumar Yadav’s comment that “this isn’t even a rivalry anymore” could add extra pressure. If India lose the final, those earlier wins won’t mean much.
For Pakistan, winning the Asia Cup would be a huge boost. Their recent record against India is poor—just 3 wins in 15 T20Is—and they’ve only won the Asia Cup twice, compared to India’s eight and Sri Lanka’s six titles. But Salman Agha’s team has found momentum after a shaky start. Their comeback win against Bangladesh helped them reach the final, and beating India now would lift the mood around Pakistan cricket. However, if they lose again, it’ll be hard to call this campaign a success.
As for the fans, after two quiet Sundays at the Dubai International Stadium, this one is expected to be electric. The dream final that organizers have waited decades for is finally happening, and the Asian Cricket Council expects a full house. All signs point to a packed stadium and a high-voltage clash.
All Eyes on Shubhman Gill and Abrar Ahmed
Shubman Gill has looked good every time he’s walked out to bat in this Asia Cup, but he’s yet to play that one big, standout innings. His highest score so far is 47 from five completed knocks. There’s no clear sign of poor form, but a couple of dismissals felt familiar—like old habits creeping back. Against Oman, he was bowled by a sharp inswinger from Shah Faisal. Then, in the second game against Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf got one to swing in and beat his inside edge. Gill has often built on Abhishek Sharma’s fast starts, but he’s still chasing that defining moment in the tournament.
On the bowling side, Abrar Ahmed has quietly been one of the most effective bowlers in the Asia Cup. His economy rate is just 5.02—better than anyone else who’s bowled at least eight overs. His two games against India were very different: he gave away only 16 runs in the first match, but was hit for 42 in the second, which accounts for nearly 40% of his total runs conceded in the tournament. With India’s top order firing from the start, Pakistan will likely turn to Abrar to slow things down—either right after the Powerplay or maybe even during it. His role could be crucial in keeping India’s batters in check.
India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Agha (c), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Stats
On Friday, Abhishek became the fourth Indian player, following Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar, to hit three half-centuries in T20Is. Can he be the first one to get four fifties in a row?
In the last four Asia Cups, India has finished unbeaten in two of them (2016 in T20Is and 2018 in ODIs). They have made it to the final after winning six games in a row. Earlier in the tournament, Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian to take 100 wickets in T20Is. On Sunday, Hardik has a chance to reach that milestone too, needing just two more wickets.
In a match against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Abrar had the best four-over spell by a spinner in Asia Cup history, ending with figures of 4 overs, 0 runs, 8 balls, and 1 wicket. In 2016, the UAE's Ahmed Raza had a spell of 3 overs, 0 runs, 6 balls, and 1 wicket.
Haris Rauf, who wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup at the beginning of the tournament, has now become one of the top wicket-takers in the Asia Cup T20s, alongside Wanindu Hasaranga. He has taken 17 wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate of 7.73.