Pakistan and India will face each other in the final of the ongoing Asia Cup on 28th September at Dubai International Stadium.
Match Preview:
The time has finally arrived. For the very first time in Asia Cup history, Pakistan and India will clash in the grand final. It has never happened before, and given the circumstances, this contest is set to be anything but ordinary.
This tournament has been surrounded by political interference, no handshakes, heated press conferences, and constant complaints to the ICC. It all began on September 14th, when India’s skipper SuryaKumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Agha Salman at the toss, and his team followed suit after the match.
Now, as the final approaches, it would be dishonest to say there is no extra pressure on the players. The two sides have already met twice in this competition, with India winning both encounters. That gives India the confidence and momentum to push for yet another Asia Cup crown.
India remains unbeaten in such tournaments, having conquered the T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 without a single loss. So far, they are flawless in this Asia Cup as well.
On the other hand, Salman Ali Agha’s Pakistan has drawn fresh belief from their last match. Few imagined they could defend a total of just 135, but once again, their bowlers rose to the occasion and delivered the improbable.
Pakistan’s campaign has been inconsistent, with batting proving their weakest link. But this final offers the perfect stage to turn things around whether with the bat or by once again relying on their bowlers to produce something extraordinary.
Probable Playing XI:
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
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 weather report:
At the Dubai International Stadium, the centre pitch is set to take the spotlight once again. Over the past five years, this strip has produced an average first-innings score of 156 in T20s. It’s the very same surface where India hunted down Pakistan’s 171 for 5 in just 18.5 overs last week. Spinners, as always in these conditions, are expected to have a big say.
Dubai’s so-called autumn hardly feels like relief—nights still burn at 36 degrees Celsius. Around this time of year, dew often begins to creep in, though it hasn’t been a significant factor in this Asia Cup yet. The challenge is compounded by the fact that most teams have been training away from the main square, on an outfield of mixed astroturf and grass, which makes it harder to judge when the dew will arrive and how it might shape the contest.
Head-to-head record:
Pakistan and India have faced each other in 15 games out of which 12 have won by the team India.
Where to Watch:
India: Sony Liv app and website (sonyliv.com).
Pakistan: Tamasha and Myco
Sri Lanka: Dialog ViU app
Bangladesh: Toffee and Tapmad.
UAE and Mena region: StarzPlay
Afghanistan: Toffee app and websites
