The Indian cricket team is on the cusp of winning the Asia Cup 2025. The final match will pit them against arch-rivals Pakistan. India has been dominant, winning all six matches in the tournament leading up to the final. The team is aiming for a seventh win to clinch the title. This marks the first time these two teams will meet in an Asia Cup final, promising a highly anticipated and exciting contest.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan has always been intense, but this year’s encounters have been marked by heightened tension on the field. Players from both sides have notably avoided shaking hands, and there were heated exchanges during the Super 4 match. India has already won both previous matches against Pakistan in this edition, indicating they are the favorites heading into the final.
India holds a significant advantage in head-to-head T20 matches. Out of 15 matches played, India has won 12, while Pakistan has won only 3. In the current Asia Cup, India secured victories against Pakistan in both the group stage (by 7 wickets) and the Super 4 stage (by 6 wickets).
Regarding the Indian team’s playing 11, there might be adjustments. In their last Super 4 match against Sri Lanka, India made two changes, resting Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube in favor of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. However, Bumrah and Dube have been key players throughout the tournament and could be reinstated, potentially sidelining Arshdeep and Harshit.
Arshdeep Singh performed exceptionally well against Sri Lanka, bowling a Super Over where he conceded only two runs and took two wickets. This performance could secure his place in the playing 11, with Dube potentially being left out. Beyond these considerations, there is little expectation of other changes in the team composition.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.