Dubai, September 18, 2025: Pakistan captain Salman Agha said his side is fully prepared for a high-stakes rematch against India in the Asia Cup Super-Fours on Sunday, following last week’s controversial group-stage encounter that ended without the customary post-match handshakes.
Pakistan sealed their Super Fours berth with a 41-run win over the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. They will now face India again, along with two Group B qualifiers, in a round-robin stage.
“We are ready, we are ready for any challenge,” Salman said after the UAE victory. “We just want to play good cricket. If we play like we have in the last few months, I think we’ll be good against any side.”
Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 50 runs, but Pakistan’s batting unit once again showed frailties. Opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for a third consecutive duck, and the middle order also struggled against UAE’s modest bowling attack.
“We got the job done but we still need to improve our batting in the middle order,” Salman admitted. “That’s been a concern and something we need to work on.”
India dominated the arch-rivals in their first meeting last weekend, cruising to a seven-wicket win. The match, their first since the four-day border conflict in May, was marred by tension as neither the captains nor the players exchanged handshakes.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later protested the conduct of Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of a code-of-conduct violation. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, alongside former chairmen Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi, said Pycroft had formally apologised to captain Salman Agha, the coach, and the manager, citing “miscommunication.” The International Cricket Council (ICC) has since signalled readiness to launch a formal inquiry.
With both sides eyeing the September 28 final, cricket fans worldwide could witness a third clash between India and Pakistan in less than three weeks, intensifying one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries.
