In Cricket, arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face off in the Asia Cup final in Dubai today.
The match will start at 8 PM IST. This will be the first India vs Pakistan final in Asia Cup history, across 17 editions and 41 years. India, the most successful side in the competition with eight titles, arrives as defending champions after their 2023 ODI triumph.
Akashvani correspondent reports, India enter the finals as the favourites. Eight Asia Cup titles from 11 finals underline India’s dominance. The batting has thrived on Abhishek Sharma’s explosive starts and Tilak Verma’s reliability in the middle order.
The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel has unsettled opponents throughout the tournament. Yet controversy has not been far away, captain Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30 percent of his match fee after dedicating a win to victims of the Pahalgam attack.
Kuldeep yadav has been the standout performer of the tournament, taking 13 wickets at a staggering average below 10. Pakistan, meanwhile, are chasing a third Asia Cup crown after triumphs in 2000 and 2012.
The challenge will be led by the pacers Shaheen shah Afridi with the new ball and Haris Rauf’s raw aggression. But Rauf too faced sanction, fined for gestures against India in the Super Fours. History adds to the weight: Pakistan have lost 12 of 15 T20Is against India.
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