Asia Cup 2025: All Roads Lead to an India-Pakistan Blockbuster Final
India and Pakistan are set to clash in the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, in what promises to be one of the most high-voltage cricketing contests in recent memory. Meeting for the third time in this tournament, both teams arrive with different narratives but the same burning ambition: to lift the trophy.
The rivalry has already been intense this year, particularly after the Pahalgam terror attacks and India’s Operation Sindoor. The tension spilled onto the cricket field during their first group-stage encounter when India cruised to victory and the players avoided handshakes at the end of the match. Emotions flared further in the Super 4 stage, where Haris Rauf taunted Indian players and fans, but India once again emerged on top thanks to a fiery opening stand from Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Now, with the stakes at their highest, Pakistan will be desperate to overturn their fortunes. They qualified for the final with a spirited defense of just 135 runs against Bangladesh, showing the potency of their bowling attack. Despite losing twice to India in this tournament, they have beaten every other team and will back themselves to break the streak when it matters most.
India, on the other hand, enter the final undefeated but under a cloud of concern. Their middle order has shown signs of vulnerability, and captain Suryakumar Yadav has yet to hit top form. While Jasprit Bumrah returns to strengthen the bowling unit, even he has looked below his best at times. Still, India’s spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav and batting sensation Abhishek Sharma remain standout performers of the tournament. Abhishek’s explosive 309 runs at a strike rate of over 200 have set the tone for India’s campaign, while Kuldeep’s wicket-taking spells have strangled opposition line-ups.
This will be the first India-Pakistan Asia Cup final since the competition began in 1984, making the occasion historic in its own right. India remain unbeaten, while Pakistan will seek inspiration from their past title wins in 2000 and 2012.
Predicted XIs:
India – Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Pakistan – Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
With a trophy on the line and national pride at stake, Sunday’s final promises to be far more than just another cricket match—it is set to be a battle of nerve, skill, and resilience. The only question: who will hold theirs till the very end?
