DUBAI – Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first against India in their highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 encounter at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Captain Salman Ali Agha confirmed that Pakistan made no changes to the side that defeated Oman a couple of days earlier.
This marks the first meeting between the two rivals since the May military escalation, when both sides exchanged missile fire. Despite India’s initial reluctance to face Pakistan, the match is going ahead, with fans on both sides eagerly awaiting a fierce contest.
Both teams enter the clash in strong form. India crushed the UAE by nine wickets in their opening game, while Pakistan dominated Oman with a 93-run win. Key players for Pakistan include Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Mohammad Haris, while India will rely on stars like Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah to tilt the game in their favor.
In Asia Cup history, India holds the edge with 10 wins in 19 encounters, while Pakistan has won six, their last victory coming in 2022. The rivalry has long been a stage for drama, passion, and high-stakes cricket.
Pakistan’s Saim Ayub expressed confidence ahead of the match, stressing the team’s consistent performance and pointing out that the dry Dubai pitch is expected to assist the side batting first.
Pakistan Squad
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, Sufiyan Muqeem.
India Squad
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk).
Asia Cup Background
The Asia Cup, Asia’s premier cricket tournament, has showcased fierce rivalries and unforgettable performances since its launch in 1984. Established by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 1983, the event was designed to promote cricket across the continent.
The inaugural edition was held in the UAE, with India lifting the first title ahead of Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Since then, India has dominated the tournament with eight titles, followed by Sri Lanka with six, while Pakistan has won it twice. Afghanistan and Bangladesh continue to chase their first crown.
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