Pakistan will face India for the third time today at 7:30 PM PST as the archival collide in a potentially irritable final of the Asia Cup of Asia 2025 in the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan was thoroughly defeated twice, first in the group stage and then in Super Fours, by the Indian team. The Indian giant has crushed all the oppositions on his way before throwing at the end of the eight team tournament with the appearance of each centimeter of the reigning world champions.
India survived a scare in the dead rubber on Friday when they surpassed Sri Lanka through Super Over after Sri Lanka managed to tie the game after obtaining 202 in Dubai.
Pakistan won on Thursday for 11 races after stumbling with 135-8 in the virtual semifinal against Bangladesh.
With that victory, the green shirts reserved their final date with the Indian archrival for the first time in the 17th iteration of today’s Asian Cup.
Before the high profile shock, the head of the Cricket Board of Pakistan and the president of the Asian Cricket Council, Mohsin Naqvi, has caused a nest of hornets with an ambiguous position on X on an “act of balance.”
“How long do you need to explain the reasons behind the act of balance?” He wrote in X, leaving fans reflecting if he was destined for the Indian team, given his time.
The two previous games have been affected by much controversy, since the two countries are playing one against the other in high tensions after the four -day military confrontation in May.
The controversy began with calls from the other side of the border to “boycott” the game. Later, in the game, the pressure also reached the players, and the Indian team refused to shake the hand with their rivals in the draw and after the game, which caused many to denounce the “lack of sportsmanship” exhibited by the Indian side.
It was said that the Indian Captain Suryakumar Yadav had “politicized” the victory by mentioning Pahalgam’s terrorist attack in Kashmir occupied by India, saying that the victory was “a perfect gift” for his nation.
In response to this, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed an official complaint against CPI against Yadav.
The PCB also complained to the ICC that the party referee Andy Pycroft had told the patron Salman Ali Agha that he did not approach the Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav for a handshake in the raffle.
In addition, during the September 21 match, when the rivals gathered for the second time, the pacemakers Haris Rauf and the Sahibzada Farhan opener were rebuked by the CPI for the gestures made during the game.
Due to tense political ties, the residents of nuclear weapons India and Pakistan only meet in neutral places during multiple team tournaments.
The tensions shot in front of the Asia Cup after the two countries participated in their worst conflict since 1999. Hostilities in May left more than 70 people dead in missile, drones and artillery exchanges, before a high fire.
The conflict was caused by an April attack against civilians in Pahalgama in a busy Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of support, a position of Islamabad denies.
India lifted the Asia Cup in its latest edition of 50 over and are the favorites to retain the crown.
Squadrons
Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (Captain), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Sufiyan Muqem, Abraheen Aphrid Ali, Hussain Talat, Sufiyan Muqem, Abraheen Ahmed, Khames, Fahah, Fahemy, Fahemy, Fahed, Fahed, Fahdem, Kmedem. Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt), Shubman Gill (Vice-Capt), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitash Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson Samson Samson Samson Samson Samson Samson Sams (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
