The 17th edition of the Asia Cup final, combining both ODI and T20 formats, will be held tomorrow. At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, two eternal rivals—India and Pakistan—will face off in this historic final.
Since the Asia Cup began in 1984, these two teams have played in multiple finals, but never against each other. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the two “arch-enemies” will meet in the title decider.
Once upon a time, an India–Pakistan match meant excitement and thrill. But over the last two decades, Pakistan has consistently failed to deliver the expected performances against India. As a result, the fierce intensity in their rivalry has faded.
In this year’s Asia Cup, India and Pakistan already met twice before the final. On both occasions, India dominated completely and secured victories, leaving Pakistan with no chance. Within just 8 days—in both the group stage and the Super Four—Pakistan could not put up any real fight against India.
Not only that, but India has played with complete authority throughout the tournament. In six matches so far, they have remained unbeaten against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan—all full Test-playing nations of Asia.
On the other hand, Pakistan has looked shaky since the beginning of the tournament. After losing to India in the group stage, they beat weaker sides Oman and UAE to reach the Super Four. But there too, they lost again to India and were on the brink of elimination. A win against Sri Lanka kept their hopes alive, and in an “unofficial semifinal” against Bangladesh, they collapsed with the bat—managing just 135 runs. Yet, thanks to the Tigers’ batting failure, Pakistan somehow stumbled their way into the final.
Since this is T20 cricket, what matters most is who performs better in those three and a half hours. Whatever the outcome, fans will finally witness the long-awaited India–Pakistan Asia Cup final.
The big question remains: who will win this historic final? From cricket experts to casual viewers, everyone is debating the clash.
Some argue that since Pakistan has already lost to India twice in this tournament, along with controversies like the handshake incident, they may channel all that frustration into determination for the final. Otherwise, defeat seems inevitable, as history and statistics put India far ahead of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s last major triumph over India came in 2017, when they beat them in the Champions Trophy final to lift the trophy. Seven years later, Pakistan now stands on the brink of another chance to claim a title against India. Who will emerge victorious in the final? Only time will tell.
But judging by the balance of power, team combinations, and recent performances, India is several steps ahead of Pakistan. The trophy appears to be tilted toward Team India. Yet, cricket is a game of uncertainties. Often, equations and predictions fail to matter. In the end, victory will belong to the team that gives everything on the day and rises to the occasion.
