It began with India's "No Handshake Policy" in the opening clash, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav turning away at the toss and post match. akistan's pacer Haris Rauf responded with taunts, abuses, and even an aircraft-crash gesture, igniting a storm that brought both under ICC scrutiny and 30 per cent fines. The barbs have lingered all the way to the final.
To add fuel to the fire, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council chief, has been constantly putting cryptic but provocative posts on his 'X' timeline.
On paper though, India are unbeaten juggernauts in the tournament, Sri Lanka alone pushing them to a Super Over in six back-to-back wins overall.
Pakistan, by contrast, stumbled and staggered to the finale. But as their head coach Mike Hesson wryly noted after beating Bangladesh: "The final is the only match that counts."
India vs Pakistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2025 Final: India vs Pakistan set for first-ever Asia Cup final showdown
Winning isn't everything but for 11 Indian cricketers it would be the only thing on their minds when they take on an unpredictable Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Sunday after a high-voltage build-up that has blurred the lines between on-field sport and off-field politics.
Key Numbers
- In T20Is since 2024, India have won 34 out of their 37 matches (including three in the Super Over)
- India and Pakistan have faced off in 12 finals across formats, with Pakistan leading 8-4, the last of which was their 180-run win at the Champions Trophy 2017 final.
- India's top seven have been hitting a boundary once every five balls, while Pakistan's have done that once in every eight balls.
Key Numbers
- In T20Is since 2024, India have won 34 out of their 37 matches (including three in the Super Over)
- India and Pakistan have faced off in 12 finals across formats, with Pakistan leading 8-4, the last of which was their 180-run win at the Champions Trophy 2017 final.
- India's top seven have been hitting a boundary once every five balls, while Pakistan's have done that once in every eight balls.
Key Numbers
- In T20Is since 2024, India have won 34 out of their 37 matches (including three in the Super Over)
- India and Pakistan have faced off in 12 finals across formats, with Pakistan leading 8-4, the last of which was their 180-run win at the Champions Trophy 2017 final.
- India's top seven have been hitting a boundary once every five balls, while Pakistan's have done that once in every eight balls.
Team India arrives
Weather report
Much like it's going to be a seriously hot day for the India vs Pakistan final! AccuWeather says the temperature will hit a high of 40 degrees Celsius before settling down to 31 degrees Celsius. The heat will definitely test the players on Sunday.
Crucially, there's been barely any dew affecting the games so far. Winning the toss is huge, but choosing whether to bat or bowl first is going to be a genuine gamble since the usual dew factor is missing.
India Super Fan: India topper, Pak last bencher
List of Asia Cup champions over the years
1984 -India beat Sri Lanka
1986 - Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
1988 - India beat Sri Lanka
1990–91 - India beat Sri Lanka
1995 - India beat Sri Lanka
1997 - Sri Lanka beat India
2000 - Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
2004 - Sri Lanka beat India
2008 - Sri Lanka beat India
2010 - India beat Sri Lanka
2012 - Pakistan beat Bangladesh
2014 - Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
2016 - India beat Bangladesh
2018 - India beat Bangladesh
2022 - Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
2023 - India beat Sri Lanka
2025 - India vs Pakistan
Abhishek vs Shaheen
"Shaheen is obviously an aggressive bowler that will try and knock you over. And Abhishek is not going to hold back. I think, so far, every time these two went head-to-head, we all as cricket supporters and fans are on the edge of our seats and that's great for the game. Yeah, so let's look forward to that on Sunday and enjoy the battle" - Morne Morkel, India bowling coach.
India vs Pakistan head-to-head records in T20Is
Matches played: 15, India won: 12, PAK won: 3. But when it comes to tournament finals, the stats tell different story. Click here to know who holds the edge
Pakistan's fragile batting
If India lean too heavily on Abhishek, Pakistan's fragility is starker. Their batting, frankly, has bordered on abysmal. Except Sahibzada Farhan, who briefly unsettled Jasprit Bumrah, there has been no batter of substance. Saim Ayub, touted as their equivalent of Abhishek, has endured a nightmarish campaign -- four ducks, almost tallying more wickets lost than runs scored at one stage. Hussain Talat and Salman Ali Agha have floundered against India's spinners. Sunday could once again be decided by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy's guile.
Pakistan's slim hopes rest on their new-ball burst. If Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf can dismantle India's top order early, a low-scoring scrap might unfold. But as with India's over-reliance on Abhishek, Shaheen and Haris need allies, something Pakistan have sorely lacked.
Final frontier
Injury concerns for India
India's unbeaten run has been smooth, but it hasn't been injury-free. Hardik Pandya's hamstring scare against Sri Lanka forced him off after a single over, while Abhishek Sharma too cramped up under the punishing Gulf heat.
"Hardik will be assessed tomorrow morning. Both him and Abhishek suffered cramps. But Abhishek is fine," Morkel reassured on Friday night.
That news is a relief as the Punjab left-hander has single-handedly shouldered India's batting load with 309 runs in six games. The gulf is telling -- Tilak Varma's 144 is the next best.
The real question is whether India's others can rally around their new talisman. Suryakumar himself is due a commanding knock, Shubman Gill has flattered without finishing, and the likes of Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma have only cashed in against Sri Lanka in inconsequential matches.
So far, it has been Abhishek laying down platforms in the Powerplay. What happens if he fails once? India's batting throughout the tournament in the back-10 hasn't been convincing at all and one doesn't know what is the plan B if there is a top-order collapse.
Provocative gestures, fines overshadowed previous encounters
It began with India's "No Handshake Policy" in the opening clash, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav turning away at the toss and post match. akistan's pacer Haris Rauf responded with taunts, abuses, and even an aircraft-crash gesture, igniting a storm that brought both under ICC scrutiny and 30 per cent fines. The barbs have lingered all the way to the final.
To add fuel to the fire, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council chief, has been constantly putting cryptic but provocative posts on his 'X' timeline.
On paper though, India are unbeaten juggernauts in the tournament, Sri Lanka alone pushing them to a Super Over in six back-to-back wins overall.
Pakistan, by contrast, stumbled and staggered to the finale. But as their head coach Mike Hesson wryly noted after beating Bangladesh: "The final is the only match that counts."
India's key players to watch out for
Abhishek Sharma has been in otherworldly touch, scoring 309 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate close to 200 and with an average of 51.5. He needs 23 runs to go past Phil Salt for most runs by a player from Test nation in tournaments/series. He has been leading India's batting from the front. In the bowling department, India's spin trio is doing wonders at restricting the opposition and picking up timely wickets, with Kuldeep Yadav leading the charts(13 wickets in 6 innings).
Can India topple Pakistan for a third time?
India head into final against Pakistan with an unbeaten record, but their campaign has been far from flawless. Questions remain over the form of key batters - including skipper Suryakumar Yadav - while lapses in fielding and catching have also raised concerns. With emotions running high on both sides, can India topple Pakistan for a third time in this tournament?