The much-awaited Asia Cup 2025 clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is all set to begin in a few hours. When these two teams take the field, the world stops and watches!
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav (Pic: AFP)
The much-awaited Asia Cup 2025 clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is set to begin in just a few hours at the Dubai International Stadium.
Over the years, the hostile neighbours have played several cricket matches, bringing euphoria among the fans when their best men step on the field to clash against each other.
When these two teams take the field, the world stops and watches!
However, Sunday's match will be played amid boycott calls, following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives in April. Many cricket lovers, former players, politicians, and the families of the victims have expressed disappointment over playing with Pakistan. However, the government announced that while Indian athletes will not play any bilaterals, they will be allowed to participate in games against Pakistan in international events.
Fans during the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match (Pic: AFP)
This time, however, India will not see two of their stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, on the field.
Kohli has been a proven match-winner on many occasions when the "Men in Blue" have taken on Pakistan.
One of the fiercest bowlers in the history of the game, Shoaib Akhtar, once said, "Never let Virat Kohli settle at the crease during the match. Constantly keep pushing him to avoid him concentrating on the match; if he does, he will go on to win that match".
These lines from one of Pakistan's all-time best bowlers highlight how dangerous Kohli has been against the arch-rivals. Though India will miss Kohli in this edition Asia Cup, they will still have the likes of one match-winning player, Hardik Pandya.
The 31-year-old Gujarat-born cricketer possesses the ability to take the game deep and secure victory for his side from any point in time during the match. He is an example of a popular phrase, "Pressure? What pressure?"
So far, Pandya has featured in seven T20I matches against the "Green Shirts" in which he has accumulated 91 runs, with a top score of 40.
Along with him will be Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. For Abhishek, it will be a test to see if he can handle the pressure on such a big occasion.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will also miss the services of their star batting duo, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
The team is renowned for its generational fierce pace attack and will have Shaheen Shah Afridi on their side.
In the batting department, Saim Ayub will be a player to watch out for. Although the left-hander failed to open his account in the side's campaign-opening clash against Oman, the Pakistan management will expect him to be at his best when the side faces their arch-rivals on Sunday.
Over the years, many players from both sides have kept saying that emerging victorious in a tournament is more significant than winning just the one clash. However, somewhere at the back of their minds, the players do have the fire burning to defeat their generational rivals.
Sunday's India-Pakistan match promises to be entertaining and intense, with fans from both sides waiting with bated breath for their side's victory.
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