It's been a short tournament that has flown by and here we are, less than 24 hours away from the big final. Before every Asia Cup tournament, people have expected an India-Pakistan final but for 41 years, it has never happened. There is always a first, though, and 28th September 2025 will be that first in Asia Cup history. It is India versus Pakistan on a Super Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The two teams faced off twice in the tournament already, once in the league stage and once in the Super Fours. Both times, it were India who came out on top in largely one-sided games. While the gulf in class between the two sides is immense, the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket means that this is anybody's game really. Especially when consider that this isn't just any cricket match, no matter what the players say on TV. It is the ultimate rivalry and while Suryakumar Yadav probably doesn't consider it to be one, this duel is one that runs beyond stats.
We shouldn't be mixing politics with sports but fair to say that this tournament has seen that happen, as unfortunate as it is. India's stance on a 'no handshake' status with Pakistan's cricketers stirred the pot. Salman Ali Agha's men responded with provocative gestures through Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf to set up the spice levels. The aggression meter has shot up, as was evident from Abhishek Sharma's verbals with Shaheen Afridi and Rauf. One thing that all this has done is to really heat up the fixture in a way it hasn't been done in recent years.
Even with all the fabled rivalry, there has been a lot of camaraderie, if we can call it that way, when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were playing with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan on the other side. Of course, all that happened before the Pahalgam attacks of April 2025. Since those unfortunate incidents, the already strained Indo-Pak relations have gone to another level in terms of the tension. Amidst all this, it's not hard to understand why a big section of Indian fans didn't want this tournament or an India-Pakistan match to happen. However, all that is history now and we are one match away from ending the tournament.
Preview
India are unbeaten all through the tournament but have been far from their best, especially with their middle order batting and fielding. Some of their catching has been atrocious and if they repeat that in the final, things could backfire in a big way. Abhishek Sharma's form is the biggest plus but India do have enough depth in the batting although the others haven't quite found the same rhythm. Hardik Pandya's fitness is a big concern as it's his all-round brilliance that allows India to use the batting depth option with their playing XI. The all-rounder's selection is still 50-50. Abhishek and Tilak Varma are fit, while Jasprit Bumrah is ready to return after being rested against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan have blown hot and cold through the tournament but seem to have gotten some rhythm in the last few games. Their batting, however remains a major concern. The bowling, while not as potent as earlier, does have quality with the spinners but they need their batters to fire collectively. The template used in the Super Fours fixture worked for a major part of their batting innings although they couldn't finish the innings better. Pakistan's batting against India's bowling is what will decide this contest, given that India's batting appears to be superior on paper.
Where to watch?
Sony Sports Network will be telecasting the Asia Cup final in India on television and through the SonyLIV website/app. Meanwhile, PVR-INOX properties are also screening the match in major cities across the country.
Weather forecast
It is extremely hot in Dubai at the moment and daytime temperatures have been close to the 40 degree Celsius mark. Sunday will be no different as temperatures will be in the 30s right through the day, till night. Humidity levels won't be high but the dry heat will sap the players's energies.
Pitch report
Surfaces in Dubai have been on the slower side with the new ball being the easiest phase to score runs for the batters. It is a chasing ground as batting tends to get easier in the second half, especially with the dew factor. Captains winning the toss have preferred to chase and that trend should continue. A decent batting track is expected but high scores are unlikely as it is a used pitch and the heat wave will have made it a lot more tired than usual.
Players to watch out for
India - Abhishek Sharma - The fiery left-hander remains the biggest threat in India's batting line-up as he not only scores big runs but scores fast runs as well. If he gets off to another flier, Pakistan will be in serious trouble.
Pakistan - Abrar Ahmed - The wrist spinner has the best economy for any bowler in this tournament with a minimum of eight overs bowled - 5.02 runs per over. He was very expensive in the Super Fours game against India but in in the league encounter, Abrar was very economical.