NEW DELHI: With the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan set to unfold this Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has delivered a clear and decisive message: dominate the powerplay, and the trophy could very well be India’s.
“Win the powerplay and control the match. Many times you have to close the match later, but against Pakistan, you just close the game right at the top, and if you do that, you will be in a very good space,” Chopra stated on his popular YouTube channel, emphasizing the critical early phase of the game.
India has already demonstrated its superiority over Pakistan twice in this tournament, securing victories by seven wickets in the group stage and by six wickets in the Super Fours. Chopra believes that while India has the ability to recover from a shaky start, Pakistan lacks that resilience.
“When I look at it from our perspective, it seems like we can figure out even if the powerplay is not good. If you see against Sri Lanka, our powerplay wasn’t good with the ball, but India made a comeback after that. However, Pakistan won’t be able to do that. Pakistan is totally about how they start,” he observed.
Chopra also pointed out Pakistan’s noticeable batting struggles. “It’s been heard that Saim Ayub is not eating eggs even in his breakfast because he has scored so many already. Salman Ali Agha has been seen struggling a lot. The batting has been slightly topsy-turvy and they probably do not have that much experience and expertise either,” he elaborated.
Looking at India’s bowling attack, Chopra stressed the importance of Jasprit Bumrah making early breakthroughs. He also expressed hope for the fitness and inclusion of Hardik Pandya. He issued a specific warning regarding Shaheen Afridi’s effectiveness, noting that the Pakistani pace spearhead can become much less threatening if he doesn’t pick up wickets with the new ball. “If you don’t give them wickets at the start, Shaheen Afridi’s performance has improved slightly, but if you don’t give him wickets with the new ball, his situation turns bad. Then he doesn’t understand what needs to be done, and that’s not just him, it’s the entire Pakistan team,” Chopra explained.
With the final scheduled on the same batting-friendly pitch used in their prior encounter, India’s top order will be acutely aware of Chopra’s strategic advice, poised to establish early dominance and secure the coveted Asia Cup trophy.