India sticks to no bilateral sports policy with Pakistan, eases norms for global events
Sports Ministry reiterates no bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, but permits participation in global events hosted in India under international norms.
India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025 Final:Â For the third straight Sunday, India and Pakistan crossed paths in the 2025 Asia Cup. Familiarity may sometimes dull the edge of a contest, but when Kuldeep Yadav is in the frame, Pakistan can never breathe easy.
The left-arm wrist spinner once again became their tormentor-in-chief, ripping through the middle and lower order to script a collapse that turned the summit into almost an one-sided affair at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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Put into bat, Pakistan began with uncharacteristic assurance. Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman combined for a sparkling 84-run opening stand, a start that briefly promised redemption for a batting order scarred by repeated failures against India in this tournament. Farhan, full of intent, hammered a 36-ball fifty, while Fakhar looked steady at the other end, threatening to anchor the innings deep. For a fleeting half hour, it felt as though Pakistan had cracked the code, shaking off the ghosts of earlier collapses.
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But that mirage didn’t last. The moment spin entered the equation, the familiar unraveling began. Farhan, having just raised his half-century, fell to Varun Chakravarthy and the slide that followed was brutal.
Saim Ayub, desperate to make amends after three ducks in the tournament, briefly threatened with boundaries, while Fakhar’s muscle shots gave Pakistan fans renewed hope. Yet, when Kuldeep returned for his second spell, the tone of the night changed. Ayub became his first victim, and from there, Pakistan’s resistance crumbled in dramatic fashion.
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Axar Patel piled on the pressure, dismissing Mohammad Haris for a duck and Hussain Talat soon after, while Fakhar, the one batter who could have carried Pakistan’s hopes, perished trying to force the pace, slicing Varun to point. At 4 down, the momentum had already shifted irreversibly.
What followed was a collapse that has become all too familiar in this rivalry. From 113/1, Pakistan managed just 33 more runs for their last nine wickets. Kuldeep, the architect of so many Pakistan downfalls, ran riot in his final over, scything through Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf in quick succession.
As India and Pakistan lock horns in this high-octane Asia Cup final, here are the top highlights:
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