Asia Cup 2025: India-Pakistan trilogy shapes up for a thrilling finale

Sometimes, the script just writes itself.

Even before the Asia Cup began, most people were certain that given the format of the tournament, India and Pakistan would be meeting thrice over three Sundays of the event. The fans have got their wish, with the two continental giants lining up for the blockbuster match-up in Dubai today in what will be their first meeting in a final of the tournament.

In their two previous meetings of this edition, India have come up trumps, but if the buzz around this game is anything to go by, Pakistan fans and the neutrals believe that an upset could be on the cards. While both sides won their last Super Four matches heading into the final, Pakistan seem to be peaking at the right time, even though India did manage to scrape past Sri Lanka in the Super Over in an inconsequential clash on Friday and go into the final unbeaten.

Controversies have followed the sides – from no handshakes, attempts to change the match referee to over-the-top gestures – which in effect makes this final encounter one of the biggest matches of the year. On the pitch, both sides have played entertaining cricket, with differing fortunes, but when it mattered, they have delivered for good measure.

So here we are for the third and final time with a few talking points ahead of the marquee clash…

Catches win matches they say. So, one assumes the opposite also holds true, but India’s 12 dropped catches and sometimes sloppy ground fielding over the course of the tournament haven’t cost them as dearly as they might have done otherwise. But, it’s still a shocking number and unless they tighten this aspect of their game, it could really hurt them in the final.

Pakistan, in contrast, were quite brilliant in their crunch match against Bangladesh, be it their catching or their ground fielding. An unpredictable side, if ever there was one, Salman Ali Agha’s men showed they know how to rise to the occasion when it really matters.

No one has owned this Asia Cup like Indian opener Abhishek Sharma. With 309 runs in six innings including three fifties at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 204.63, the southpaw has truly been frightening to watch for the opposition. Against Pakistan, Sharma blasted 31 off 13 balls in their first meeting and then 74 off 39 in the second. His prized wicket will be the one Shaheen Shah Afridi and co will want early, for if he survives the six overs of powerplay, the match may well be over for Pakistan by then.

Speaking of Afridi, he has already picked up two Man-of-the-Match awards and has shown that even when he is not picking up wickets, he is smashing the ball to all parts of the ground. The pace spearhead has, nonetheless, come into his own in the latter stages of the tournament, making the early breakthroughs that he is reputed for and his battle with Sharma is going to be one for the ages.

So far in this tournament, Sharma has made telling contributions in all six matches. That has meant that the middle order could afford a couple of failures and the team would still win the match, be it while chasing or setting a target. The unknown for India will be if Sharma fails, and the thinktank would definitely have gone over that scenario. India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has had a tournament to forget as a batter and Sharma’s opening partner Shubman Gill hasn’t exactly set the stands on fire, except against Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Super Four. Sanju Samson has scored in both inconsequential matches but India can breathe easy knowing that all batters have had sufficient time in the middle.

As for Pakistan, they will still cling on to the hope that Saim Ayub can score some runs after four ducks. His bowling though, has been far more effective than his day job and with Haris Rauf breathing fire and taking wickets, Pakistan’s bowling has a settled look about it. Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman have been Pakistan’s top scorers in this tournament and with Jasprit Bumrah expected to do what he does best, getting an early breakthrough, the likes of Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz will be expected to provide the impetus later on. Also, it’s high time skipper Ali Agha gets some runs and plugs the gaping hole in the middle order.

India’s wily left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s four overs hold the key. With 13 wickets in this tournament at an economy rate of just over six, he is head and shoulders above the rest. Pakistan will rely on Ayub to again come good with the ball, the spinner having picked up eight wickets with some crucial breakthroughs and alongside Abrar Ahmed, could really trouble the Indian batters.

 On both previous occasions in Dubai, India chased and won comfortably. Maybe, Pakistan can flip the script and put India in if they win the toss. India put Pakistan in the second time they met, showing immense confidence in their chasing ability. However, in a high-pressure encounter as this, a big score upfront can be the difference between the trophy and a what if.

Only the toss will tell.