The 17th edition of the Asia Cup has been anything but quiet, marked by a series of dramatic incidents even before the final whistle. From refused handshakes and rejected complaints against match referees to provocative gestures, politically charged post-match comments, disciplinary hearings, and even cancelled press conferences and delayed matches – the tournament has seen it all. These controversies are heightened by the already strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, especially after a significant cross-border conflict following a terror attack in Pahalgam back in May. Now, with the prestigious title at stake, these fierce rivals are set to face off for the third time in this year’s continental championship, all culminating this Sunday at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Despite the off-field theatrics and past one-sided encounters in this tournament, the excitement for Sunday’s final remains palpable. This match is particularly historic, marking the first time these arch-rivals clash in the Asia Cup’s four-decade history. India has largely dominated their recent cricketing history, particularly over the last two decades. Since their first T20 International in 2007, the reigning T20 World Cup champions have secured 12 victories out of 15 matches. They also boast an impressive record of winning their last seven white-ball encounters against Pakistan. Conversely, Pakistan often highlights its stronger performance in white-ball tournament finals, holding an 8-4 advantage.
This stark dominance was famously underscored by Suryakumar Yadav after India’s commanding six-wicket win in the Super Four stage. He provocatively declared that the India-Pakistan contests were “no longer a rivalry.” Yadav elaborated, stating, “According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1… I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore.”
For Salman Agha’s Pakistani squad to defy this narrative and truly challenge India, they will need an exceptional performance, coupled with a rare off-day from the Indian team. While Pakistan’s coach, Mike Hesson, found some positives in their competitive spirit during the recent Super Four loss to India, his team ultimately saw a target of 172 runs comfortably chased down with seven balls remaining. Indian opener Abhishek Sharma was the batting hero in that match, and his sensational form means he will once again be a crucial player for India in the final.
A recent concern arose for India during their Super Over victory against Sri Lanka on Friday when Abhishek Sharma was seen clutching his thigh and had to leave the field during the tenth over of the second innings. All-rounder Hardik Pandya also spent a significant portion of the innings off the field after experiencing hamstring discomfort in his opening over. However, India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, downplayed these incidents, attributing them to cramps. “We’ll assess Hardik and we’ll make a call on that. Both of them struggled with cramps during the game. Abhishek is fine,” Morkel reassured reporters on Friday night.
As the highly anticipated final approaches, conventional cricketing wisdom heavily favors another victory for the Men in Blue. However, the question remains: can Pakistan, known for its unpredictable and mercurial nature, pull off a stunning upset and rewrite the script?