Tag: Asia Cup 2025

DUBAI: Bangladesh have won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four encounter here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) on Wednesday.

Playing XIs

Bangladesh XI: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali (capt & wk), Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD: 

India and Bangladesh have faced each other on 17 occasions in the T20I format, with India emerging as the far superior team with 16 wins.

Matches: India 16, Bangladesh 1

READ: ‘Tigers who?’ Shaheen Afridi draws blank on Bangladesh nickname

DUBAI: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi shared a lighthearted moment when he forgot about Bangladesh’s nickname ‘Tigers’ ahead of their Super Four clash against them in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

Ahead of Pakistan-Bangladesh clash, Shaheen was asked about Pakistan’s playing XI against the ‘Tigers’.

“Tigers who?” the pacer laughed and replied, “I’ll ask the head coach—sorry, I don’t know.”

Looking ahead to the Bangladesh game, Shaheen said Pakistan were fully focused.

“Bangladesh are a good team and have been playing good cricket recently. In such games, you must land the first punch and not give them opportunities. We will have to play well in all three departments—batting, bowling and fielding—to win,” he told reporters.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

He also discussed the increased aggression from Pakistan’s fast bowlers, particularly against India in the Super Fours encounter.

“It’s nothing new. We’ve always been aggressive since the day we started playing cricket. That’s how fast bowling is played. When a fast bowler shows aggression, it lifts the energy of the whole team. There is no special plan for this—our job is to show aggression and take wickets,” he remarked.

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“Everyone has their own opinion, but our job is to play cricket. We won the tri-nation series; now we are here to win the Asia Cup. As a team, we are working hard to give Pakistan joy,” he added.

The 25-year-old shed light on his performances with the bat and ball that lifted Pakistan out of the trouble.

“My role is to give 100% in whatever position I’m asked to play—batting, bowling, or fielding. Even if I’m unwell or injured, I never show it. My focus is to keep the team’s morale high and play with full energy,” he said.

“If you are in the team, you should be ready to do everything—batting, bowling, and fielding. Everyone has to contribute in whatever role they are given so that Pakistan benefits,” he said.

READ: Shaheen Afridi sends Asia Cup warning as third India clash looms

Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has declared that his team will reach the ACC Asia Cup 2025 final and can beat India if the arch-rivals clash again.

Pakistan kept their campaign alive with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super Four clash in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

India and Pakistan have met twice in this edition of the regional competition, but the neighbors have never played against each other in an Asia Cup final.

The regional tournament, played this time in the United Arab Emirates under the Twenty20 format, started in 1984, and this is its 17th edition.

Bangladesh, who face India on Wednesday and Pakistan on Thursday, stand in the way of the great rivals facing off in Sunday’s decider in Dubai.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

India are the holders and beat Pakistan in both previous matches, but Shaheen was in a bullish mood after taking 3-28 against Sri Lanka.

“They have still not reached the final. When they do, then we will see them,” said Shaheen of India.

“We are here to win the cup, whichever team comes in the final, we are ready to beat them.”

If both teams reach the final, India will once again start as strong favorites, having won 12 of 15 T20Is between the two countries.

India have also won the last seven internationals against Pakistan since September 2022, four T20Is and three one-day internationals.

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That sequence prompted India skipper Suryakumar Yadav to declare that India-Pakistan “is not a rivalry anymore”.

In both wins for India in the UAE, there were no handshakes, adding another layer to an already intense rivalry.

“It is his opinion that, let him say that,” said Shaheen of Suryakumar’s cutting comments.

“When they reach the final, then they will see. Our job is to win the Asia Cup, and we will make a complete effort to do that.”

READ: Abrar enters top five, Sahibzada becomes Pakistan’s best batter in T20I Rankings

ABU DHABI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has joined star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in an elite list during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Farhan struck 24 off 15 deliveries, laced with two sixes and a four, entering the record books as he became only the fourth batter from the country to score 1,500 T20 runs in a calendar year.

He reached the landmark in his 35th innings of the year.

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Prior to Farhan, only Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shan Masood had crossed the 1,500-run barrier in a calendar year.

Babar has done it thrice (2019, 2021, 2024), Rizwan achieved it in back-to-back years (2021 and 2022), while Shan managed the feat in 2022.

Farhan’s tally in 2025 has been accumulated through his performances for Pakistan, Peshawar Region, and Islamabad United, underlining his consistency across formats and tournaments.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

The 29-year-old also made headlines earlier on Sunday with a striking celebration after notching up a half-century against India.

He reached the landmark by launching Axar Patel for a six and marked the moment by mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets,” a gesture that quickly went viral among fans.

READ: Fans in awe of Hasaranga, Abrar after ‘spirit of cricket’ moment

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga have won hearts worldwide after sharing a heartwarming display of mutual respect following the Men in Green’s Super Four victory over the Islanders in the Asia Cup 2025.

Pakistan achieved a five-wicket victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday, moving up to second place on the points table.

However, both Hasaranga and Ahmed had some tense moments on the field when the duo mimicked each other’s celebrations after taking wickets.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Abrar Ahmed did the celebration first when he bowled Wanindu Hasaranga, while the Sri Lankan spinner returned the favor twice.

He imitated Abrar’s celebration after taking a stunning catch to dismiss Fakhar Zaman off Maheesh Theekshana’s bowling.

In the subsequent over, he clean-bowled Saim Ayub and celebrated like Abrar once again while looking towards Pakistan’s dugout.

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The Green Shirts managed to overcome an early collapse, thanks to the efforts of Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz, who led the team to victory.

After the match, Hasaranga and Abrar did not let their previous tensions affect them; instead, they demonstrated sportsmanship.

A video that surfaced on social media shows the two exchanging handshakes after the game. They hugged each other and shared a laugh about the events on the field, ultimately deciding to bury the hatchet.

Just loved this.. friendly banter during the game, at the end of the game, they are brothers. incredible Sportsmanship.. lot to learn from this for all cricketers. #PAKVSL #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/iOCiTToXm5

— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) September 23, 2025

Lovely moment between Hasaranga and Abrar.

This is what you call banter and sportsmanship. All fun on the field and friends off it. pic.twitter.com/30cTNYxeBx

— yang goi (@GongR1ght) September 23, 2025

See that moment between Abrar and Hasaranga? Copying each other’s celebrations as playful on-field banter, then laughing and hugging it out in the end. That’s the beauty of this sport. That’s true sportsmanship. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nWVzaUidAu

— Brashna Kasi (@Brashnaa) September 23, 2025

READ: Barcelona’s Gavi to miss up to five months after knee surgery

ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted concern over losing wickets in the middle overs after his side’s win over Sri Lanka.

Pakistan edged Sri Lanka by five wickets to bag a crucial win in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

During the post-match presentation, Salman Ali Agha rued the collapse in the middle overs and highlighted their performance in previous matches of the Asia Cup 2025.

“Cannot say it was a perfect game. We lost four wickets in three overs, but apart from that, it could be a perfect game, but we need to stop doing that. We have been doing that since Sharjah, and we need to stop that,” he said.

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The skipper praised fielding coach Shane McDermott for his hard work with the players.

“He (Shane McDermott) has been working with players really hard. We have named him a rockstar, and are working hard with him,” Salman remarked.

The 31-year-old heaped praise on Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shaheen Afridi, calling them vital in the team’s win.

“He (Shaheen) has been outstanding since he came back. He has been bowling well for last so many years. He is an asset and a match-winner, and he is showing that every now and then.

That is why we play so many all-rounders because nowadays, the game demands so many options in batting and bowling. I am very happy for him. Knowing him for several years, he has been working hard on his game and really happy for him,” he concluded while praising Hussain Talat.

READ: Hussain Talat reflects on match-winning performance against Sri Lanka

ABU DHABI: All-rounder Hussain Talat shared his thoughts after playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s crucial win over Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours.

On a day when Pakistan needed a vital all-round contribution, Talat delivered with bat and ball to put his team back on course in the race for the continental tournament final.

The 29-year-old first chipped with the ball, picking up two crucial wickets in a single over. He removed Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanka on consecutive deliveries, which put the Green Shirts in the driving seat.

He backed his bowling with a composed and measured knock under pressure. Pakistan were 80-5 in 11.1 overs when Mohammad Nawaz joined Talat for a decisive 58-run partnership.

Hussain Talat made 32 from 30 balls with the aid of four boundaries.

Speaking after the match, Talat reflected on his knock and how he paced his innings in testing conditions.

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“It is difficult, it is hot, we all know. But we all prepared for this time. Conditions were not easy, so I took my time. We want to play attacking cricket, but in the UAE, we cannot go full-fledged,” he said.

“But they (captain and coach) talked about playing with the field and going with our best shots. The plan was to go straightaway and attack. But I just backed my gut feeling. We lost two wickets when I went in to bat. My gut feeling was to take some time and that the boundaries would come,” he continued.

He also praised Mohammad Nawaz, who made 38 from 24 balls, striking three sixes and three fours, and talked about his bowling.

“There was a lot of humidity and I told Nawaz that he will go (after the bowling) and that I will go after the bowling (if I get an opportunity). Hats off to him for the way he finished it,” Talat explained.

“I was working on my bowling with the bowling coach. We all know that teams will go after me, so I have to back my plans. If I can bowl two good overs for the team, that will help. And then I knew I needed to do something with the bat as well, and got this (award), he concluded.

READ: All-round Talat stars as Pakistan down Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2025

ABU DHABI: Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi on Tuesday went past Shadab Khan to become the second-highest wicket taker for Pakistan in the T20Is.

Shaheen reached the feat during Pakistan’s clash against Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours played here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The 25-year-old surpassed Shadab after removing Sri Lanka’s openers– Patthum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis.

Before heading into the match, Shaheen Afridi had scalped 111 wickets in 89 games.

Most wickets for Pakistan in Men’s T20Is

Haris Rauf – 128 wickets in 89 innings
Shaheen Shah Afridi – 113 wickets in 90 innings*
Shadab Khan – 112 wickets in 104 innings
Shahid Afridi – 97 wickets in 96 innings
Saeed Ajmal – 85 wickets in 60 innings

Overall, Shaheen Afridi took three wickets in his four overs and gave away 28 runs. Courtesy of his bowling effort, Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest 133-run total in their 20 overs.

It is pertinent to mention that Shaheen Afridi picked only three wickets in five games before playing the match against Sri Lanka.

However, he played crucial cameos with the bat to lift Pakistan out of trouble in the group stage fixtures of the Asia Cup 2025 against India and UAE.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt.), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

READ: England name pace-heavy squad for Ashes 2025

ABU DHABI: Hussain Talat stood tall with bat and ball to script a crucial win for Pakistan over Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Green Shirts chased down the target in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

The openers were off to a flyer, piling up 45 runs in 5.3 overs. However, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback in the fifth over, removing both openers to dent Pakistan’s progress.

Maheesh Theekshan struck twice, first removing dangerous Sahibzada Farhan and then Fakhar Zaman, to put Sri Lanka back into the game.

Sahibzada departed after scoring 24 from 15 balls, striking two sixes and a boundary, while Fakhar made 17 from 19 with the aid of two fours.

The wickets gave the Islanders an opening, and they further jolted Pakistan with quick wickets. Saim Ayub’s poor form continued as he was castled for two while Salman Ali Agha perished soon after, adding only five to the total.

Mohammad Haris was also cleaned up by Dushmanta Chameera for 13 after a brief partnership of 23 runs with Hussain Talat. As a result, Pakistan were reduced to 80-5 in 11.1 overs.

Yet, Pakistan emerged victorious, and it was all due to Hussain Talat’s calm and composed innings. The left-hander forged a decisive 58-run stand with Mohammad Nawaz, who also chipped in at the end to take Pakistan home.

Hussain made 32* from 30 balls, striking four boundaries, whereas Nawaz struck back-to-back sixes to take his runs tally to 38*. He hit three fours and three sixes in his impressive knock.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets each.

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Earlier, Shaheen Afridi’s impressive three-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to 133-8 in their 20 overs.

The Islanders were jolted early, with Shaheen Afridi removing both openers. Kusal Mendis fell for nought on the second ball of the first over, whereas in-form Pathum Nissanka was caught behind in the third over.

As a result, Sri Lanka slipped to 18-2 in 2.2 overs. However, the batters tried to counterattack, accumulating some vital runs.

Kusal Perera and skipper Charith Asalanka added 25 from 19 on the third wicket before the former was caught off Haris Rauf’s bowling in the fifth over. The left-hander managed to score 15 from 12 balls.

Despite scoring quickly, the eight over from medium pacer Hussain Talat was the cherry on top for Pakistan. Talat, bowling his first over of the tournament, removed Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka on back-to-back deliveries, which slumped them to 58-5.

The wickets sparked a mini collapse and dragged the run-rate down, though Kamindu Mendis fought back with anchoring a half-century to lift his team out of trouble.

The left-hander made 50 from 44 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.

For Pakistan, it was an all-round performance with Shaheen Afridi leading the attack and picking up three wickets in his quota of four overs. Hussain Talat and Haris Rauf were equally good, scalping two apiece.

READ: England name pace-heavy squad for Ashes 2025

5.3: Theekshana removes Sahibzada Farhan

Sahibzada Farhan 24 (15b 1×4 2×6) SR: 160

PAK: 43/0 (5 Overs) 

Chameera comes back

PAK: 36/0 (4 Overs) 

Maheesh Theekshana to bowl his first over

PAK: 26/0 (3 Overs) 

Thushara to continue

PAK: 8/0 (2 Overs) 

Dushmantha Chameera from the other end

PAK: 4/0 (1 Over) 

Nuwan Thushara with the new ball for Sri Lanka. Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman to start the proceedings for Pakistan.

Pak vs Sri Lanka (2nd INNINGS)

ABU DHABI: Sri Lanka have set Pakistan a 134-run target in the third fixture of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

SL: 133/8 (20 Overs) 

Haris to bowl the final over

SL: 125/7 (19 Overs) 

Shaheen Afridi returns

SL: 118/6 (18 Overs) 

Faheem to bowl his final over

SL: 105/6 (17 Overs) 

Haris Rauf back

SL: 97/6 (16 Overs) 

Talat returns

SL: 88/6 (15 Overs) 

Abrar Ahmed to bowl his final over

SL: 87/6 (14 Overs) 

Faheem returns

SL: 82/6 (13 Overs) 

Abrar to continue

SL: 80/5 (12 Overs) 

Haris returns

SL: 72/5 (11 Overs) 

Abrar to continue

SL: 70/5 (10 Overs) 

Talat continues

SL: 65/5 (9 Overs) 

Abrar Ahmed comes to bowl

SL: 62/5 (8 Overs) 

Interestingly, Hussain Talat has the ball and he is going to bowl the eight over

SL: 58/3 (7 Overs) 

Salman Ali Agha comes to bowl

SL: 53/3 (6 Overs) 

5.2:  Rauf strikes and Faheem takes an excellent catch

Kusal Perera 15 (12b 1×4 1×6) SR: 125

Haris Rauf to bowl his first over

SL: 39/2 (5 Overs) 

Shaheen to bowl his third over

SL: 36/2 (4 Overs) 

Faheem to continue

SL: 28/2 (3 Overs) 

2.2: Shaheen gets dangerous, Nissanka, who is caught behind. The right-hander swung blindly and threw his wicket away.

Pathum Nissanka 8 (7b 0x4 1×6) SR: 114.28

SL: 12/1 (2 Overs) 

Faheem Ashraf will bowl from the other end

SL: 4/1 (1 Over)

0.2: Mendis flicks it straight to short mid-wicket. A full ball onto the pads, and Mendis could have put it away on another day, but not this time. Wicket for Pakistan.

Kusal Mendis  0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Shaheen Afridi with the new ball for Pakistan. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis to open the innings for Sri Lanka.

Pak vs Sri Lanka (1st INNINGS)

ABU DHABI: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Sri Lanka in the third fixture of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Squads

Pakistan: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem.

Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana.

READ: Former cricket umpire Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird dies aged 92