The wait is over. The toss for the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai has been completed, and India captain Suryakumar Yadav has opted to bowl first against arch-rivals Pakistan. Interestingly, the toss presentation was split, with Surya speaking to Ravi Shastri while Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha engaged with Waqar Younis.
For India, Hardik Pandya misses out due to injury, paving the way for Rinku Singh’s entry. Pakistan, meanwhile, has fielded an unchanged XI.
This clash is the third time these sides are meeting in the tournament. India dominated the group-stage encounter in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attacks and Operation Sindoor, with Suryakumar dedicating the win to Indian troops. The second meeting was fiercer, marked by Haris Rauf’s fiery taunts during training and on-field aggression. Yet, India prevailed again thanks to a powerful start from Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Now, everything comes down to the grand finale. While India is unbeaten so far, they have shown signs of vulnerability in the Super 4s. Bangladesh exposed chinks in their armour, and Sri Lanka nearly toppled them before India scraped through in a dramatic Super Over. Their middle-order, particularly captain Suryakumar, has looked out of rhythm. Even Jasprit Bumrah, returning today, wasn’t at his best in the last Indo-Pak clash.
Pakistan, despite consecutive defeats to India, proved their bowling depth by defending 135 against Bangladesh to qualify. The memory of the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where Pakistan stunned India, remains another reminder that they cannot be underestimated in crunch situations.
Two players to watch out for are the tournament’s standout performers: Kuldeep Yadav, weaving magical spells in the middle overs, and Abhishek Sharma, who has lit up Asia Cup 2025 with 309 runs at a strike rate above 200, making him arguably the player of the tournament.
Tonight’s final is not only about cricket it is a contest layered with political tension, national pride, and history. Whether it is redemption for Pakistan or domination by India, the Asia Cup 2025 final promises to be a blockbuster.
India vs Pakistan XI for Asia Cup final:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
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