Dubai, September 25, 2025: Pakistan stormed into the final of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 after a thrilling 11-run victory over Bangladesh in their Super Four clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The Green Shirts will now meet arch-rivals India in the title decider, marking the first-ever India–Pakistan final in the history of the continental tournament.
Defending a modest 136-run target, Pakistan’s pace duo Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf delivered fiery spells, claiming three wickets each to dismantle Bangladesh’s batting lineup. The Tigers, despite a valiant 30-run knock by Shamim Hossain, were restricted to 124/9 in their 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s chase got off to a nightmare start as Shaheen removed Parvez Hossain Emon for a duck in the opening over. The early blows continued with Saif Hassan (18) and Towhid Hridoy (5) departing in quick succession, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 29/3 inside six overs.
Middle-order contributions from Mahedi Hasan (11) and Nurul Hasan (14) provided little resistance, before Shamim fought back with a gutsy 30 off 25 balls, laced with two boundaries. However, his dismissal in the 17th over ended Bangladesh’s hopes. Haris then struck twice in quick succession to seal Pakistan’s hard-fought win.
Alongside Shaheen and Haris, Saim Ayub also chipped in with two wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz claimed one.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali opted to field first, and his bowlers justified the decision by restricting Pakistan to 135/8. Pakistan endured a horror start, losing Sahibzada Farhan (4) and Saim Ayub (0) inside the first two overs.
The innings wobbled further when Fakhar Zaman (12) and Hussain Talat (3) fell cheaply to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, reducing Pakistan to 33/4 by the ninth over. Skipper Salman Ali Agha (19 off 23) attempted to rebuild but perished to Mustafizur Rahman with the score at just 49/5.
A surprise promotion for Shaheen Shah Afridi at number seven briefly lifted the innings as he hammered two sixes in a quickfire 19. But it was the partnership between wicketkeeper Haris (31 off 23) and Nawaz (25 off 15) that proved crucial. The duo added 38 runs for the seventh wicket, ensuring Pakistan had something to defend.
Bangladesh’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Taskin Ahmed, who returned impressive figures of 3/28. Rishad Hossain (2/23) and Mahedi Hasan (2/20) also shone, while Mustafizur chipped in with one wicket.
With this victory, Pakistan set up a mouth-watering final clash against India, scheduled for Sunday, September 28. It will be the third meeting between the two sides in the tournament, with India having the upper hand in their previous encounters.
The upcoming final promises to be a historic showdown, as Pakistan seeks redemption while India aims to maintain their dominance.
