India’s route to the final was dominant, as they went undefeated throughout the tournament. They not only overcame Pakistan once in the group stage, but also beat them again in the Super Four, demonstrating their dominance. Pakistan’s campaign, meanwhile, was uneven. While they fell twice to India, they shown remarkable tenacity by winning their other games and being in contention for the final.
The Asia Cup 2025 has been a thrilling event, with weeks of top-tier cricket from eight contending nations.
After a series of furious clashes in the group and Super Four stages, India and Pakistan will face off in a spectacular final on Sunday, September 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, reigniting one of cricket’s oldest rivalries. India was the first team to qualify for the summit battle after defeating Bangladesh in the Super Four. Pakistan, on the other hand, secured their spot with a tense do-or-die victory over the same opponents.
This Asia Cup final is significant since India and Pakistan had never competed for the Asia Cup title before. India has won the competition the most times, with eight, while Pakistan has won twice. The last time the two arch rivals met in a multi-nation final was in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
In the legendary 2017 final at The Oval, India won the toss and elected to field first, which backfired. Pakistan scored 338 for 4, thanks to Fakhar Zaman’s sparkling century (114 off 106 balls). Azhar Ali (59) and Mohammad Hafeez (unbeaten 57) also contributed key runs to set a difficult mark.
India’s chase never really took off, with Mohammad Amir’s blazing opening spell dismantling the top order, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan. Hardik Pandya provided brief resistance with a scorching 76 off 43 balls, but India eventually crumpled for 158, as Pakistan won by 180 runs, claiming their first Champions Trophy in emphatic fashion.
The outcome remains one of Pakistan’s finest victories over India in an ICC final, providing spice to their long-awaited clash in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
India
