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DUBAI: The presentation ceremony for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final has been delayed after India triumphed over Pakistan on Sunday here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

According to reports, the delay has been due to India’s refusal to hand over the Asia Cup trophy to ACC president Mohsin Naqvi.

On 17 September, India captain Suryakumar Yadav had requested that if his side wins the Asia Cup 2025, he does not want the trophy to be presented to him by Mohsin Naqvi.

The development came after India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final by five wickets.

Set 147, India chased down the target on the fourth ball of the last over, losing five wickets in the process.

Pakistan pacers ripped through India’s top order as Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi combined to rattle the defending champions.

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Dangerous Abhishek Sharma was the first to go holing out to mid on, whereas Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, in poor form, perished courtesy of an excellent catch from Salman Ali Agha.

The Men in Blue were pegged back with Shubman Gill’s wicket, who was caught on mid-on after scoring 12. As a result, India were reduced to 20-3.

However, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma arrested the slide and batted with calm and composure. The pair added 58 runs for the third wicket, which put India back on course in the chase.

Varma particularly nudged the balls for a single and eased pressure. Samson, on the other hand, was looking good. He got a reprieve in the ninth over as Hussain Talat dropped a sitter.

Yet, he departed after making 24 from 21 balls with the help of two fours and a six. At this stage, India were 77-4 in 12.4 overs.

The game was evenly poised at this stage, with India requiring 69 from 42 balls. However, Tilak Varma’s presence at the crease and some sloppy fielding and tactical errors from Pakistan put India on top.

Haris Rauf’s 17 yielded 17 runs from the 15th over, which tilted the game in India’s favor.

Eventually, India aced the chase with Rinku Singh— playing his first game of the tournament, hitting the ball over mid wicket for four to seal an emphatic win for his side.

For Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf picked up three wickets.

READ: Kuldeep Yadav opens up after India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph

DUBAI: Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav shared his thoughts after India ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph over Pakistan here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

India chased down the partly 147-run target on the fourth ball of the last over, losing five wickets in the process.

The architects of India’s win were Tilak Varma and Kuldeep Yadav. Varma showed his batting prowess under pressure, scoring a 69 from 53 balls, hitting four sixes and three fours.

Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, took four wickets, including three in an over, which derailed Pakistan’s batting lineup. As a result, Pakistan were bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs.

Speaking in the post-match presentation, Kuldeep Yadav highlighted Pakistan’s collapse despite a strong start.

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“It is very important to bowl in the middle overs. We (the spinners), playing together, it is a luxury to have. Everyone has a different role. They started really well. After 10-11 overs, they were 100-1,” he said.

‘We knew if we could get a couple of wickets, then it was not going to be easy for the new batter to come in and score runs,” he added.

He also praised Tilak Varma for his knock, while revealing that he had spoken with the bowler Hari Prasad Mohan about bowling lengths.

“When I was bowling the first over, I was trying to get them out. Before the game, he just send the screenshot of the lengths where we had to bowl to the batters, and big thanks to Hari. And a masterclass from Tilak – he was unbelievable today,” he said.

READ: Tilak, Kuldeep star as India defeat Pakistan to clinch Asia Cup 2025

DUBAI: Pakistan opener batter Sahibzada Farhan registered a unique milestone as he became the only batter to hit Jasprit Bumrah for three sixes in the T20Is during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 final.

Farhan, who became the first Pakistani batter to hit a six off Jasprit Bumrah in international cricket, has now become the only batter overall to hit three sixes off the pacer in T20Is.

Earlier, he showcased his batting prowess over Bumrah during the group-stage match of the Asia Cup 2025, held on September 14, where he cleared the boundary twice.

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The first six was hit on the third delivery of the fourth over when Farhan skillfully judged a good-length delivery from Bumrah that was angling in, sending it soaring over the long-on boundary.

He struck again on the third delivery of Bumrah’s next over, launching a short-pitched delivery that was also angling in over backward square.

In the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 final, Farhan continued his assault on Bumrah, hitting one six and a four.

He started cautiously, facing two dot balls and then running for a couple of singles before lofting a boundary over cover.

When Bumrah bowled his next over, Farhan crunched with another four over midwicket, followed by a massive six over mid-off, ultimately scoring 12 runs off Bumrah in that over.

He eventually departed after scoring 57 from 38 balls, smashing three sixes and five fours.

READ: Asia Cup Final: Former England cricketer warns India of ‘unpredictable’ Pakistan

DUBAI: Tilak Verma’s crafty knock and Kuldeep Yadav’s magic with the ball helped India seal victory against Pakistan in a last-over thriller in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final here on Sunday.

Set 147, India chased down the target on the fourth ball of the last over, losing five wickets in the process.

Pakistan pacers ripped through India’s top order as Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi combined to rattle the defending champions.

Dangerous Abhishek Sharma was the first to go holing out to mid on, whereas Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, in poor form, perished courtesy of an excellent catch from Salman Ali Agha.

The Men in Blue were pegged back with Shubman Gill’s wicket, who was caught on mid-on after scoring 12. As a result, India were reduced to 20-3.

However, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma arrested the slide and batted with calm and composure. The pair added 58 runs for the third wicket, which put India back on course in the chase.

Varma particularly nudged the balls for a single and eased pressure. Samson, on the other hand, was looking good. He got a reprieve in the ninth over as Hussain Talat dropped a sitter.

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Yet, he departed after making 24 from 21 balls with the help of two fours and a six. At this stage, India were 77-4 in 12.4 overs.

The game was evenly poised at this stage, with India requiring 69 from 42 balls. However, Tilak Varma’s presence at the crease and some sloppy fielding and tactical errors from Pakistan put India on top.

Haris Rauf’s 17 yielded 17 runs from the 15th over, which tilted the game in India’s favor.

Eventually, India aced the chase with Rinku Singh— playing his first game of the tournament, hitting the ball over mid wicket for four to seal an emphatic win for his side.

For Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf picked up three wickets.

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman provided a strong start, but the innings unraveled once again as a familiar middle-order collapse led to Pakistan’s innings being folded for a modest total.

Put into bat first, Pakistan could not capitalize on a strong start as their innings folded on a mere 146-run total in  19.1 overs.

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman started strong with an 84-run stand. The duo batted cautiously and ended the powerplay on a strong note with Pakistan 45-0.

Sahizbada remained the core aggressor and reached his half-century off 35 balls while Fakhar played the second fiddle.

The partnership eventually culminated with Farhan’s wicket, who made 57 from 38 balls, striking three sixes and five fours.

Yet, Pakistan were in a strong position to score a strong total with Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman adding 29 runs to the total. However, the former wicket on the fifth ball sparked a collapse that the Green Shirts could not recover from.

Saim perished to Kuldeep, managing 14 from 10, whereas Axar Patel ended Mohammad Haris ‘ two-ball stay at the crease. The wicket-keeper could not open his account.

In the next over, Fakhar tried to charge after hitting Varun Chakravarthy for a six and ended up losing his wicket. The soutpaw scored 46 from 35 with the aid of two sixes and two fours.

As a result, Pakistan slumped to 126-4. The situation was still manageable for Pakistan to post a good score with skipper Salman Ali Agha ( 8) and Hussain Talat (1) at the crease. However, Kuldeep Yadav picked three wickets in an over, which bundled them out for a modest total.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav picked up a four-wicket haul, whereas Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy picked up two wickets each.

READ: Asia Cup Final: Former England cricketer warns India of ‘unpredictable’ Pakistan

DUBAI: India beat Pakistan by five wickets to win the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

IND: 150/5 (19.4 overs)

19.4: Rinku Singh crunches over Mid-wicket, and India win Asia Cup 2025 and are champions for the record ninth time

Haris Rauf to bowl the final over

IND: 137/5 (19 overs)

Faheem Ashraf comes to bowl

IND: 130/4 (18 overs)

Rauf back

IND: 117/4 (17 overs)

Shaheen Afridi back

IND: 111/4 (16 overs)

Abrar returns

IND: 100/4 (15 overs)

Haris comes back

IND: 83/4 (14 overs)

Saim is to bowl his third over

IND: 78/4 (13 overs)

12.2: Samson miscues one and ends up being caught

Sanju Samson 24 (21b 2×4 1×6) SR: 114.28

Abrar is to bowl his third over

IND: 76/3 (12 overs)

Saim continues

IND: 69/3 (11 overs)

Abrar to continue

IND: 58/3 (10 overs)

Saim Ayub to bowl his first over

IND: 54/3 (9 overs)

8.3: Abrar Ahmed to Samson and dropped. Hussain Talat drops a sitter

Abrar Ahmed is in the attack

IND: 49/3 (8 overs)

Right-arm pacer Haris Rauf has been brought into the attack

IND: 42/3 (7 overs)

Mohammad Nawaz to bowl his first over of the night

IND: 36/3 (6 overs)

Faheem is to bowl his third over

IND: 25/3 (5 overs)

Shaheen to continue

IND: 20/3 (4 overs)

3.6: Pakistan is on a roll here. Gill departs after holing out to mid on. Game on now.

Shubman Gill 12 (10b 1×4 0x6) SR: 120

Faheem to continue

IND: 11/2 (3 overs)

2.3: India’s skipper tries to clear the infield and ends up being caught. Salman Ali Agha with an excellent catch.

Suryakumar Yadav 1 (5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 20

Shaheen to continue

IND: 10/1 (2 overs)

1.1: Abhishek tries to go big and miscues one. Big big wicket for Pakistan as Sharma departs

Abhishek Sharma 5 (6b 1×4 0x6) SR: 83.33

Faheem Ashraf from the other end

IND: 7/0 (1 over)

Shaheen Afridi to bowl the first over. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill to open the innings for India.

Pakistan vs India (2nd Innings)

DUBAI: Pakistan set a 147-run target against India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup final.

19.1: Bumrah to Nawaz, OUT

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl his final over

PAK: 141/9 (19 Overs)

Varun to bowl his final over

PAK: 141/9 (18 Overs)

Bumrah comes back

PAK: 134/8 (17 Overs)

Kuldeep comes back

PAK: 133/5 (16 Overs)

Axar to continue

PAK: 128/4 (15 Overs)

14.4:  A six and a wicket. India will be happy with the wicket, though, and a big one too. Fakhar departs

Fakhar Zaman  46 (35b 2×4 2×6) SR: 131.42

Varun returns

PAK: 118/3 (14 Overs)

13.3: India is on a roll here. Another one bites the dust

Mohammad Haris  0 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Axar is back in the mix

PAK: 113/2 (13 Overs)

12.5: Saim Ayub tries to cut and hands an easy pass to point. The left-hander’s horror run continues

Saim Ayub 14 (11b 2×4 0x6) SR: 127.27

Kuldeep returns

PAK: 107/1 (12 Overs)

Tilak Varma comes to bowl

PAK: 98/1 (11 Overs)

Dube comes back. Saim Ayub is off the mark, and he gets going. Good signs for Pakistan

PAK: 87/1 (10 Overs)

9.4: Varun Chakravarthy bowls a short of a length delivery and Farhan tries to hit big. He is caught at mid-wicket. One shot too many for the right-hander who perishes after a well-made fifty.

Sahibzada Farhan 57 (38b 5×4 3×6) SR: 150

Varun returns

PAK: 77/0 (9 Overs)

Kuldeep bowls his second over

PAK: 64/0 (8 Overs)

Axar continues

PAK: 56/0 (7 Overs)

Kuldeep Yadav is brought into the bowling attack

Pakistan has so far batted cautiously, and it’s a good sign for them that they haven’t lost any wickets while Sahizbada Farhan gets going.

PAK: 45/0 (6 Overs)

Axar Patel to bowl from the other end

PAK: 37/0 (5 Overs)

It’s time for some spin, and Varun Chakravarthy is into the attack

PAK: 29/0 (4 Overs)

Bumrah continues

PAK: 19/0 (3 Overs)

Dube to continue

PAK: 11/0 (2 Overs)

Jasprit Bumrah will share the new ball from the other end

PAK: 4/0 (1 Over)

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman to open the innings for Pakistan. Interestingly, Shivam Dube is with the new ball for India.

Pakistan vs India (1st INNINGS)

DUBAI: India have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final.

Playing XIs Pakistan vs India 

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

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

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD: 

Both teams have faced each other 15 times in the T20I format. The Men in Blue have won 12 out off 15 encounters, whereas Green Shirts have only managed to secure three wins.

For context, Pakistan and India are set to face each other for the third time in the Asia Cup 2025. In both of the previous clashes, India comprehensively defeated Pakistan in one-sided affairs.

READ: Asia Cup Final: Former England cricketer warns India of ‘unpredictable’ Pakistan

DUBAI: India have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) on Sunday.

Playing XIs

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

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

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD: 

Both teams have faced each other 15 times in the T20I format. The Men in Blue have won 12 out off 15 encounters, whereas Green Shirts have only managed to secure three wins.

For context, Pakistan and India are set to face each other for the third time in the Asia Cup 2025. In both of the previous clashes, India comprehensively defeated Pakistan in one-sided affairs.

READ: Asia Cup Final: Former England cricketer warns India of ‘unpredictable’ Pakistan

DUBAI: Former England spinner Monty Panesar has warned India to not underestimate Pakistan ahead of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final.

Pakistan and India will lock horns in the continental tournament final for the first time, marking a historic game between the arch-rivals.

India have played dominantly throughout the tournament, entering the summit clash as an unbeaten side. They have comprehensively defeated Pakistan in both of their earlier matches in this tournament.

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Nonetheless, Monty Panesar has warned India that the final could bring out a different version of Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a dangerous team. They’ve got nothing to lose. In a final, they could play their best cricket, even though India has been the most consistent team throughout the tournament. India needs to be really mindful,” Panesar said.

He also underscored Pakistan’s unpredictability and warned India against complacency.

“Pakistan is probably not as strong as it once was, but on its day, it can still beat India. They must be careful not to become too complacent,” he remarked.

Asia Cup 2025 Squads

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), 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.

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.

READ: Dubai Police issue security plan for Pakistan-India Asia Cup Final

DUBAI: The Dubai Police have announced stringent security measures for the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India, scheduled for Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In an advisory, authorities urged spectators to arrive at least three hours before the start of play to avoid congestion. Each ticket will allow only a single entry, with no re-entry permitted once a fan exits the venue.

The guidelines include a ban on flammable materials, weapons, laser pointers, fireworks, glass items, tripods, and selfie sticks.

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Political banners and unauthorised placards have also been prohibited. Police appealed to fans to cooperate fully with security staff to ensure the contest is enjoyed in a festive yet safe environment.

Meanwhile, organisers confirmed that all 28,000 tickets for the historic clash have sold out, with demand far surpassing previous fixtures.

The group-stage meeting drew 20,000 spectators, while the Super Four encounter saw 17,000 in attendance.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

The final, however, marks the first-ever Asia Cup title showdown between the arch-rivals in the tournament’s 41-year history.

Pakistan sealed their place in the decider with a tense 11-run win over Bangladesh on September 25, setting up a third face-off with India in this edition.

India won both earlier matches, though both encounters were marred by controversies.

READ: Pakistan captain opens up on Saim Ayub’s participation in Asia Cup final

DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha has thrown his weight behind out-of-form batter Saim Ayub ahead of the blockbuster ACC Asia Cup 2025 final against India, set to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Ayub has endured a torrid run with the bat in the tournament, scoring just 23 runs in six innings at a poor average of 3.83 and a strike rate of 85.18, including four ducks.

However, the left-hander has made up for his struggles with the bat by delivering handy contributions with the ball, taking eight wickets in five innings at an impressive average of 14.00.

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Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Salman Ali Agha acknowledged the scrutiny on Ayub’s place in the XI but insisted that the youngster deserves backing, given his all-round value and long-term potential.

“I think Saim Ayub is such a player who can serve Pakistan for the next 10 years, and I am really hoping that he does,” Agha said.

“So, it is essential to back such individuals until a situation arises where it becomes absolutely necessary to make a change.”

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Highlighting Ayub’s consistent efforts in the field and with the ball, the captain underlined his faith in the 24-year-old to come good with the bat when it matters most.

“You have seen his bowling and fielding, he is contributing in every game. There has not been a single match where he has not contributed,” he added.

“Yes, he could not perform with the bat, but I am fully confident that he will play one good innings in the final.”

READ: Tickets sold out for Pakistan-India Asia Cup final in Dubai

DUBAI: The tickets for the ACC Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India have officially sold out, with organisers confirming that all 28,000 seats at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium have been snapped up.

The arch-rivals’ first-ever meeting in an Asia Cup final has sparked unprecedented demand, outstripping even the earlier group and Super Four matches that drew 20,000 and 17,000 spectators, respectively.

The sell-out crowd underscores the extraordinary hype surrounding the historic showdown, marking the first time in the tournament’s 41-year history that Pakistan and India will contest the title.

Pakistan sealed their place in the final with an 11-run win over Bangladesh on September 25, setting up a third face-off with India in this edition.

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India won both previous encounters, though the games were overshadowed by controversies on and off the field.

In the group-stage clash on September 14, the first meeting since cross-border tensions resurfaced in May, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav declined the customary handshake with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the toss.

The incident carried through to the end of the match, when Yadav and teammate Shivam Dube left the field without greeting their opponents, retreating straight to the dressing room.

Similar scenes followed in the Super Four clash on September 21, with both sides again avoiding handshakes before and after the game, further intensifying the rivalry ahead of the final.

READ: Salman Ali Agha breaks silence on handshake row ahead of Asia Cup final