TOP STORIES
Asia Cup 2025 Final: Amid lingering tensions India aim to retain the Asia Cup title as Pakistan gun for revenge

The stage is set for the Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan, to be held on Sunday in Dubai. The stakes are at an all-time high, as this final isn't just about who lifts the trophy—it's about pride, dominance, and a legacy. India and Pakistan, who share a complex and strained relationship, only meet in world tournaments, and their cricketing duels are charged with the kind of emotion and intensity that few other sporting events can match. When these two teams meet, their supporters don’t just watch—they live every moment. The match on Sunday marks the first India vs Pakistan final in the Asia Cup. Pakistan have suffered two defeats in the tournament, and those came against the arch-rival India.
Earlier in the tournament, India delivered a dominant performance against Pakistan in the group stage, crushing their arch-rivals by seven wickets in a show of ruthless cricket. But it was what followed that added fuel to the already heightened tensions between the neighbouring nations; India's players reportedly refused to engage in the traditional post-match handshakes. While no official explanation was provided, the move was widely seen as a snub, triggering debates over sportsmanship. Pakistan’s camp reacted with visible disappointment, calling it poor spirit.
Either way, it only added fuel to an already raging fire. Tempers frayed in their second meeting in the Super Four, with Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf gaining the spotlight. Haris Rauf made a military-style gesture towards the Indian fans, signalling the downing of aircraft. Sahibzada Farhan also made a provocative gesture, celebrating his fifty with a gun-like gesture. Both were later pulled up by the ICC.
India have stormed into the final undefeated, crushing every opponent with obvious dominance. With a top-order, led by six-hitting machine Abhishek Sharma, firing on all cylinders and a bowling attack that has delivered under high-pressure situations, India enter the final as clear favourites to retain the Asia Cup title. Notably, if India are a juggernaut, Pakistan are a wildcard, unpredictable and capable of turning games on their head. Despite the group stage setback, Pakistan rallied in the knockout rounds, showing grit and relentless determination to make it to the final. They will be gunning for revenge with two heartbreaks against India.
Head to head (T20I)
Matches - 15
IND won - 12
PAK won - 3
No result - 0
India possible XI: 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 possible XI: 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
Tags
More News

Sai Sudharsan lauds head coach Gambhir for unequivocal support
Young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan has praised Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir for his steadfast encouragement and support during a challenging start to his Test career. Sudharsan revealed that Gambhir's repeated assurance helped him gather much-needed confidence. The promising star made his Test debut on the challenging England tour, scoring 140 runs at an ave...

"I'm deeply grateful to see...": Shreyas Iyer's first reaction following devastating injury
Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has expressed heartfelt gratitude to his fans and well-wishers for their unwavering support as he continues to recover from a serious injury sustained during the third and final ODI against Australia in Sydney. The incident took place when Iyer made a spectacular effort on the field, diving full-length to complete a brilliant catch to dismiss

Young cricketer dies in Melbourne after being struck by cricket ball
A 17-year-old club cricketer (Ben Austin) in Melbourne passed away after being struck on the neck by a ball while warming up in the nets on Tuesday. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but despite best efforts, he died later on Thursday morning.
According to multiple reports, Ben was facing deliveries thrown from a sidearm device during a net session and wear...

"Harshit Rana doesn't fit the bill yet": Former Indian cricketer questions Arshdeep's exclusion from 1st T20I
The exclusion of Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI in the first T20I between India and Australia has sparked disappointment. For the first T20I against Australia on Wednesday, India went with Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana as their specialist pacers, while Arshdeep was left to warm the bench. Despite being th...

Nicolas Pooran, Kieron Pollard return to MI Emirates in ILT20 as wildcards
MI Emirates have made a statement ahead of the upcoming ILT20 season by naming power hitters Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as their wildcard signings. Pollard, who is a T20 veteran, remains one of the format’s most successful players.
Pooran, on the other hand, brings explosive batting and finishing ability. Pooran has already retir...

Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram