India's captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and opted to bowl first in the final. Shivam Dube opened the attack, giving away just 4 runs in the first over while repeatedly beating the bat.
Jasprit Bumrah followed up, testing Sahibzada Farhan with some sharp deliveries, though the batter managed to respond with a few well-timed shots.
Despite the pressure, Pakistan reached 45/0 at the end of the powerplay, a solid start. Remarkably, this marks the fourth instance in which Pakistan has not lost a wicket in the powerplay against India.
It is worth noting that the Men in Blue have taken a beating while bowling in their last few Asia Cup matches, even someone like Jasprit Bumrah. Their last outing, against Sri Lanka, went to the Super Over despite them posting a total of 202 on the board.
It is also worth noting that Hardik Pandya, one of their key bowlers, is not playing in the final due to an injury, which is a major blow to the team in this high-pressure game.
Before the Asia Cup 2025 final, India and Pakistan had faced off in 15 T20 matches, and on only three occasions had Indian bowlers failed to take a wicket during the powerplay. The most recent instance before this tournament occurred in 2021, also at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
That match was part of the T20 World Cup, where India batted first and posted 151 runs on the board. In response, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam delivered a clinical performance with the bat, both remaining unbeaten as Pakistan cruised to a 10-wicket victory, making it a memorable and dominant win for them.
