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Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded the Pakistan cricket team after their hard-fought victory over Bangladesh in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, sealing a historic final showdown with India in Dubai.
Pakistan held their nerve in a tense contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, edging Bangladesh by 11 runs to book their place in the final.
The result means India and Pakistan will meet in an Asia Cup final for the first time in 41 years, setting up a much-anticipated clash on Sunday.
Pathan, who has been a vocal supporter of India’s campaign, took to the social media platform X to acknowledge Pakistan’s progress, especially in the bowling department.
“For the first time in Asia Cup history, we’ll see an India vs Pakistan final. India have shown their dominance, the gap with others is clear. Pak team, meanwhile, have shown improvement especially in the bowling department,” Pathan wrote.
Earlier, Pakistan managed 135 for 8 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first, with Bangladesh’s bowlers keeping things tight.
But Pakistan’s attack responded brilliantly, restricting Bangladesh to 124 for 9 in reply.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf bagged two wickets apiece, while Saim Ayub also impressed with two scalps, and Mohammad Nawaz added one.
