The Asia Cup 2025 culminates in another India-Pakistan final, marking the third meeting between these arch-rivals in the same tournament. India enters the final with an unbeaten streak, having won all their matches, including two victories over Pakistan in the group stage and Super Four. Pakistan, despite their losses to India, has bounced back to reach the final.
This showdown promises high drama as Pakistan looks to overturn their poor record against India in this tournament, while India aims to complete a perfect campaign and lift the trophy.
Match Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (Final) |
| Date | Sunday, September 28, 2025 |
| Time | 8:00 PM IST |
| Venue | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
Recent Form Analysis
India (Asia Cup 2025)
| Match | Opposition | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Four | Bangladesh | Won | 41 runs |
| Super Four | Pakistan | Won | 6 wickets |
| Group A | Oman | Won | 21 runs |
| Group A | Pakistan | Won | 7 wickets |
| Group A | UAE | Won | 9 wickets |
Pakistan (Asia Cup 2025)
| Match | Opposition | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Four | Bangladesh | Won | 11 runs |
| Super Four | Sri Lanka | Won | 5 wickets |
| Super Four | India | Lost | 6 wickets |
| Group A | UAE | Won | 41 runs |
| Group A | India | Lost | 7 wickets |
| Group A | Oman | Won | 93 runs |
India has been dominant throughout the tournament without dropping a single game. Pakistan’s journey has been shaky with both their defeats coming against India, but they’ve shown resilience by winning important matches to reach the final.
Head-to-Head Record (Asia Cup 2025)
| Date | Stage | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2025 | Super Four | India won by 6 wickets |
| Sep 14, 2025 | Group A | India won by 7 wickets |
India leads 2-0 in their meetings during this tournament. The psychological advantage firmly rests with India, having beaten Pakistan twice already.
Pitch Analysis and Predicted Score
Dubai International Cricket Stadium has been the venue for both previous encounters, with Pakistan struggling to post competitive totals. The pitch has offered assistance to spinners while also providing early movement for pace bowlers.
Key Dubai Characteristics:
- Slower surface favoring spinners in middle overs
- New ball movement for pace bowlers
- Scoring becomes easier once batsmen are settled
- Evening conditions can assist swing bowling
Based on matches in this tournament, scores around 160-175 have been competitive at this venue.
- Predicted Score Range: 165-180 runs
Players to Watch
India
 |  |  |
| Abhishek Sharma | Hardik Pandya | Jasprit Bumrah |
- Abhishek Sharma: The aggressive opener has been in good form, and his explosive batting style sets the tone for India’s innings.
- Hardik Pandya: His all-round contributions have been vital throughout the tournament.
- Jasprit Bumrah: His ability to bowl in any situation makes him India’s most important bowler.
Pakistan
 |  |  |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Abrar Ahmed | Fakhar Zaman |
- Shaheen Shah Afridi: The left-arm pacer needs to provide early breakthroughs to put pressure on India’s strong batting lineup.
- Abrar Ahmed: The leg-spinner has been impressive and could trouble Indian batsmen with his variations on a turning Dubai pitch.
- Fakhar Zaman: His batting could change the game if he gets going against India’s bowling attack.
Team Changes and Squad News
India is expected to field the same winning combination that has served them well throughout the tournament. Their balanced attack and strong batting lineup remain unchanged. Pakistan may consider making a few changes, though they might stick with the team that defeated Bangladesh in their last match.
Predicted Lineups
- India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav
- Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Tactical Insights
India will look to replicate their winning formula – early wickets with pace, strangling the middle overs with spin, and aggressive batting throughout. Their confidence from two dominant victories will be a major psychological advantage.
Pakistan must break the pattern of their previous defeats. They need to find a way to handle India’s quality spin attack better, rotate strike consistently, and avoid dot-ball pressure that has plagued them in both previous encounters. Their pacers must also strike early to shake India’s confidence.
The key battle remains Pakistan’s batting against India’s spin trio of Kuldeep, Chakravarthy, and Axar, who have collectively dominated in both previous meetings.
Who Will Win the Asia Cup 2025 Final Between India vs Pakistan?
Despite this being a final where pressure can level the playing field, India’s dominance throughout the tournament and particularly against Pakistan makes them the favorites. Pakistan has been outplayed in both previous encounters.
India’s bowling attack has proven too strong for Pakistan’s batting lineup, which has failed to post competitive totals in both matches. Pakistan managed just 127/9 and 171/5 in their two defeats – neither total threatening enough against India’s powerful batting.
The psychological burden of two defeats to India in the same tournament will weigh heavily on Pakistan. While finals can produce surprises, India’s superior team balance, current form, and mental edge makes their victory highly likely.
- Prediction: India to win by 30-35 runs
India should complete a perfect Asia Cup campaign by defeating Pakistan for the third consecutive time in the tournament. Pakistan will need something extraordinary to overturn India’s dominance, but based on current form and tournament performances, India should comfortably defend their title.