Will it be India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup final? All eyes on today's Pak vs Ban virtual semis

It is a virtual semi-final in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 as Pakistan face Bangladesh in Dubai today (September 25).

The winner of the Pakistan versus Bangladesh Super Four clash will face India in the final on Sunday (September 28) at the same venue. Both teams have one win apiece in Super Fours.

Pakistan high on confidence

Pakistan will be confident going into Thursday’s knockout game after squeezing past Sri Lanka in a low-scoring contest in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

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Chasing 134, Pakistan were in deep trouble at 80 for five. At that stage, the match was wide open with Pakistan still needing 54 runs and a defeat would have knocked them out of the race of the tournament.

However, they found Hussain Talat (32 not out, 30 balls) and Mohammad Nawaz (38 not out, 24 balls), who collected the remaining runs with composure as Pakistan won by five wickets with two overs to spare.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, had a tough last match against India as they lost by 41 runs. However, they had won against Sri Lanka in their first Super Four game.

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The Litton Das-led side will take confidence over Pakistan as they had beaten them in a home series 2-1 in July.

Afridi wants to win trophy

Bangladesh’s batting will again depend on Saif Hassan, who has scored back-to-back fifties in the tournament. The team will also rely on their spinners.

While Pakistan has always been unpredictable, some of the key players like Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman have to stand up on the big day for them to make the final.

“We are here to win the Asia Cup and we will give our best effort for that,” Afridi said.

Asked if the team is even discussing the possible India-Pakistan match-up in the final, fast bowler Haris Rauf said, “We are not in the final yet, when we reach, we will think about it.”

“Our job is to play cricket, people can think what they want. We are here to win Asia Cup. We are trying our best to fulfil Pakistan's hopes,” Rauf added.

The pitch conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) are expected to be slow and the captain who wins the toss is likely to bowl first.

The Squads

Pakistan: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain & wicketkeeper), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.

The match starts at 8 PM IST

Live streaming: SonyLiv

Live TV: Sony Sports Network