Pakistan is looking forward to thrilling India in the final of Asia Cup 2025. They booked their place in the final with an exciting 11-run win against Bangladesh in the Super Fours stage match played at Dubai. This victory sends their hopes of three consecutive final appearances back into the mix. They’ll face off against a powerful Indian side that has already owned their matchups thus far this month.
In the same case against Bangladesh, things couldn’t have started worse for Pakistan. Taskin Ahmed set the tone right away by removing Sahibzada Farhan off the very first ball. It created even better conditions for the visitors when Mahedi made Ayub walk back to pavilion in the very first delivery of the next over. Despite losing two wickets in quick succession early on, Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha batted resiliently to put together a brief but important partnership. Their lack of aggression was telling, as they didn’t manage to clear the ropes even once while in the middle.
Pakistan’s batting order was immediately dealt a further blow as Agha became the fourth player to fall to Mustafizur Rahman, Pakistan reeling at 49-5. Pressure continued to build on the Pakistani side. Then Mohammad Haris arrived, hitting 31 runs from only 17 deliveries to steady the ship. Mohammad Nawaz played an impactful innings, scoring 25 runs off only 15 deliveries. Meanwhile, Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with 19 runs off 13 balls, helping Pakistan post a total of 135-8 in their 20 overs.
Reacting to that pressure, Bangladesh’s entire batting lineup crumbled against the threat of Pakistan’s quick bowlers. Shamim Hossain got Bangladeshi fans’ hopes up with a fast start to the action. Afridi was quick to dismiss him and was awarded player of the match for his all-around performance. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf each claimed three wickets, contributing significantly to Bangladesh’s collapse as they ended their innings at 124-9.
Rishad put his stamp on the game with two eye-popping grabs. Then came his turn to bowl, and he removed both Zaman and Hussain Talat. Bangladesh’s inability to chase down the target of 136 highlighted the effectiveness of Pakistan’s bowling strategy and underscored the challenges faced by their batting order.
Looking forward, Pakistan will prepare for what promises to be a thrilling final against India. The Indian team are in red hot form, having registered comprehensive wins in all of their matches this month. Both sides are set to battle in a potential classic. Cricket enthusiasts are looking forward to the exhilarating climax of the Asia Cup 2025!
