India and Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday, September 28, amid political tensions and on-field friction.
The nuclear-armed neighbours have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade. The match follows deadly border clashes in May and controversies during the group stage and Super Four encounters.
Pakistan reached the final after defeating Bangladesh by 11 runs on Thursday, setting up a high-stakes showdown with defending champions India.
However, recent encounters have been tense. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Agha, and several players from both sides skipped post-match handshakes.
India has dominated the rivalry recently, winning seven consecutive matches since 2022, including three ODIs and four T20Is.
In T20s, India leads the head-to-head 12-3. Meanwhile, the Super Four match saw Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan celebrate with a gun gesture after his fifty, while pacer Haris Rauf made gestures interpreted as mocking India’s May border actions, which claimed over 70 lives.
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson said, “My message to the players is just to focus on cricket. There has always been passion in high-pressure games.”
India, the reigning T20 world champions, remain favourites after winning all five of their Asia Cup matches. Abhishek Sharma impressed with consecutive half-centuries, and Kuldeep Yadav leads the bowling charts with 12 wickets.
Still, India’s fielding has been a concern, with 12 dropped catches. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy attributed this to the ‘ring of fire’ created by the stadium’s 350 floodlights, adding, “We have to improve our fielding, and the fielding coach certainly has a lot to say.”
India will face Sri Lanka in their final Super Four match on Friday. The result will not affect their final qualification.
Pakistan relies on pace duo Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, supported by spinners Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz. However, their batting remains shaky, having struggled at 49-5 against Bangladesh before reaching 135-8.
While Suryakumar downplayed the rivalry, Hesson believes Pakistan can challenge India, the top-ranked T20 side.
Also Read: Asia Cup Final: Only Match That Matters Is Against India, Says Pakistan Coach Hesson
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