The Asia Cup 2025 final may be decided by the powerplay overs, according to former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra.
He said that if India dominates with the new ball, they may essentially win the match. On Sunday, September 28, the Men in Blue will play Pakistan in the championship match in Dubai.
The two teams will face each other for the third time throughout the competition. India defeated the team captained by Salman Ali Agha by six wickets in the Super Fours and seven wickets in the group stage. Chopra pointed out that if Suryakumar Yadav’s team does well in the powerplay, they could dominate the summit match. He also cautioned that a slow or uninteresting start would make it difficult for Pakistan to bounce back.
“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. 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,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Hoping Hardik to be fit for the final”
The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out the poor run of form with the bat for Saim Ayub and Pakistan’s skipper. Furthermore, Chopra added that if India can pick up one or two early wickets, it could be, game, set, and match. Lastly, the Agra-born urged ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah to make an impact with the new ball and expressed hope that Hardik Pandya would be fit for the final.
“If you stop them in the powerplay, this team won’t be able to recover from there. It’s been heard that Saim Ayub is not eating eggs even in his breakfast because he has scored so many already. So he wants to stay away from them. 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,” Chopra said.
Chopra also observed that Shaheen Shah Afridi and the other Pakistan bowlers would be left clueless if India avoids early wickets in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The Men in Blue scored 61 for 2 in the first six overs while chasing 128 in the group stage, and the openers amassed 69 runs in six overs during the Super 4 clash while pursuing a target of 172.
“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. So, winning the powerplay and winning the match is the biggest story,” Chopra concluded.
India
