An India-Pakistan final that carries more weight than a title
India have beaten Pakistan twice already in this Asia Cup, but Sunday's final is the only match that matters now
Shashank Kishore and Danyal Rasool
27-Sep-2025 • 2 hrs ago
Big picture: Finally, an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final
Forty one years have passed since the first Asia Cup in 1984, and India and Pakistan have finally made it to the summit clash together. They have played each other twice along the way, with India winning both contests comfortably, but the cricket has been overshadowed by a lack of handshakes, angry verbals, and provocative gestures that are rooted in the military conflict between the two nations earlier this year.
It's clear Sunday's final isn't just another India vs Pakistan match. There are massive political undercurrents both sets of players have had to wade through which has created plenty of controversy. India sticking by their government's advice and refusing to shake hands with Pakistan was the start, and it has snowballed into multiple ICC hearings and financial penalties on both sides.
But even two commanding wins in the run to the final will amount to nothing if Suryakumar Yadav's men lose on Sunday. Especially after he said that he felt this wasn't even a rivalry anymore, given the recent lopsidedness of results in India's favour. That's likely to bring a different kind of pressure.
For Pakistan, an Asia Cup title would cover the scars of an ordinary recent history. Their record against India - 12 defeats in 15 T20Is - places them firmly as underdogs in this contest. They have had a curiously difficult time in this tournament, winning just two titles, while India and Sri Lanka have won eight and six respectively.
Salman Agha's men are, however, having one of those tournaments where they are building up steam from disappointing beginnings. Pakistan were on the ropes against Bangladesh but found the necessary burst of energy to come from behind, win, and qualify for this final. Beating India now in the match that matters would lift the pall of pessimism and gloom that has shrouded their cricket lately. But if they are beaten again, Pakistan will be aware that no series where they lose three times to India can truly count as an encouraging one.
In terms of spectator interest, after two lukewarm Sundays at the Dubai International Stadium, this one promises to be different. The dream past organisers may have chased in vain for a vast majority of the Asia Cup's existence has been realised in Dubai. Will the fans turn up in large numbers? Indications are they will, with the Asian Cricket Council expecting a sellout.
For once, the rivalry needs no selling. Now for the cricket to live up to expectation.
Recent form
India WWWWW
(last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWL
(last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWL
In the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Abrar Ahmed
Shubman Gill has a highest of 47 in five completed innings at this Asia Cup. While there's nothing to suggest an apparent lack of form, Gill's manner of dismissals on a couple of occasions were like echoes of old habits. Against Oman, he was beaten and bowled by late inswing from left-arm seamer Shah Faisal. Against Pakistan in their second outing, Faheem Ashraf got one to duck back in to beat the inside edge. Gill's looked sparkling in every innings, and has fed off Abhishek's fast starts. Yet, that one defining knock in this tournament has remained elusive.
Abrar Ahmed has an economy rate of 5.02 this Asia Cup. No other bowler (minimum eight overs) has gone at less than six. His two games against India was a story of contrasts - he conceded just 16 on the first Sunday, but 42 - nearly 37% of his conceded runs all tournament - the second time around. With India getting off to good starts all tournament, Pakistan will turn to Abrar to reel them in, either immediately following the Powerplay, and perhaps even during it.
Team News: Bumrah and Dube to return
Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma pulled up with cramps and spent large parts of India's defence of 202 against Sri Lanka on the sidelines. But there's no major concern about their availability for the final. Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube, who rested on Friday, will be back. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will make way.
India (likely): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah
With Pakistan keen on power hitting through the middle overs, there has been some speculation Hasan Nawaz could make a return after missing the last three games. However with quality spin, like India's, his Achilles heel, they are likely to stick with their combination over the Super Four stage, and go in unchanged.
Pakistan (likely): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Hussain Talat, 5 Mohammad Nawaz, 6 Salman Agha (capt), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Mohammad Haris (wk), 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
Pitch and conditions: An eye on the dew
It's like autumn in Dubai, they say. That means it's only marginally less hot than summer. Night-time temperatures are a searing 36 degrees celsius. End September-early October can also mark the onset of dew, which hasn't been a major factor yet in this Asia Cup. Teams have also mostly been training away from the main ground in Dubai - on an outfield that is a mix of astroturf and grass - so it becomes that little bit harder to assess when the dew comes in and what impact it can have on the match. As for the pitch, a fresh surface will be used for the final, the one at the very centre of the Dubai International Stadium, where the average first-innings score in all T20s over the last five years is 156 - pointing to spin being a major factor again.
Stats and trivia: Can Abhishek go past Kohli?
- On Friday, Abhishek became the fourth Indian, after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar, to score a hat-trick of half-centuries in T20Is. Can he become the first to score four consecutive fifties?
- In two of the last four Asia Cups (2016 in T20Is and 2018 in ODIs), India have finished the tournament unbeaten. They have now entered the final on the back of six straight wins.
- Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian to 100 T20I wickets earlier in the competition. On Sunday, Hardik could join him in the club - he needs two more.
- Against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Abrar delivered the most economical four-over spell by a spinner in Asia Cup history, with figures of 4-0-8-1. UAE's Ahmed Raza produced 3-0-6-1 in 2016
- Haris Rauf, who wasn't a certainty in the first XI early on in the competition, has surged to become the joint-top wicket-taker (with Wanindu Hasaraga) in Asia Cup T20s. He has 17 wickets in 10 games at an economy of 7.73.
Quotes
"It would be wrong to say a Pakistan-India match doesn't carry more pressure. It's the final. There'll be a similar amount of pressure on both sides. The pressure of a final is different, of course."
Pakistan captain Salman Agha
Pakistan captain Salman Agha
"I don't think, in this tournament so far, we've played a complete game. After every game, there's been discussions about areas we would like to improve and get better. If we start with the batting, can we, in tough conditions, rotate strike a little bit better [...] Can we protect partnerships a little bit, because new batter walking in here, it is quite tough. From a bowling point of view, the talk is specifically about the first six, first 10 overs, how we can improve with our lengths, with our accuracy, our thinking. And in that middle phase, just our over sequence, in terms of bringing in the odd yorker."India bowling coach Morne Morkel