Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Former captain Shahid Afridi has proposed couple of changes to the Pakistan playing eleven following the dramatic loss to India in the T20 World Cup
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
India and Bangladesh have two points each with Suryakumar Yadav's men leading the standings owing to a superior net run rate. Sri Lanka and Pakistan occupy the third and fourth spots respectively.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
On Sunday, in the crucible of Dubai, it all comes down to a single question: Who will seize their moment and become a hero for a nation?
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar Azam has been asked to improve certain aspects of his game.
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
With stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan sidelined, it will be a test of character for the Salman Agha-led Pakistan side.
Head coach Jason Gillispie said Shaheen Afridi understands the "situation" and the break will give him quality time with his family.
Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have been denied permission by the PCB to play in the Global T20 in Canada.
Afridi disclosed that the Men in Green have finalised a pool of 16 to 20 players for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
A stunning long-range strike from midfielder Rohen Singh proved to be the difference as Real Kashmir FC edged a spirited TRAU FC 2-1 in a Group F contest of the Durand Cup in Imphal on Monday.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have been dropped from the T20 squad for the upcoming five-match series in New Zealand.
India, for all their internal debates and external expectations, look like the one side that has clarity of purpose. And clarity, in high-pressure tournaments, often counts for more than raw talent.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka to overcome a top-order collapse and reach 242-6 on Day one
Shaheen Shah Afridi lashed out at those who leaked pictures and videos of his wedding on social media.
Shaheen Afridi also missed the last two Tests against England in October.
The source added that team officials and selectors had discussed Afridi's case with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf.
Pakistan might have heaved a sigh of relief to see that Shaheen Shah Afridi did not show any signs of a draining fever that had gripped the team upon its arrival in Bengaluru.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off in a dead rubber match in the Champions Trophy on Thursday, both teams looking to salvage some pride after disappointing tournament performances. Both teams have suffered heavy defeats to New Zealand.
Former captain Babar Azam, pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.
'As players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out, and just play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team.'
The Pakistan cricket team left for Dubai for the marquee Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals India without opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered an injury during the opening match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. The left-handed batter has been replaced by Imam-ul-Haq in Pakistan's squad.
Virat Kohli anchored a tricky chase with an unbeaten 100.
Indian captain Virat Kohli arrived two hours early for practice ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, focusing on his struggles against spin bowling.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Sunday.
"We played a lot of dot balls because our set batsmen got out and it was not easy for a new batter coming in. They needed two to three balls to settle and that forced us onto the back foot,"
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to investigate a case involving a UK-based Pakistani agent, Mughiz Ahmad Shearachiikh, who has been suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching its anti-corruption code. Shearachiikh and his company, International Cricketers Association (ICA), had signed several centrally contracted Pakistani players last year.
A fiery century by Hasan Nawaz and top-class performances from pacers helped Pakistan keep the series alive
Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim also returned to the World Cup squad after recovering fully from a side strain he suffered during the Asia Cup.
Young blocked the first ball of the Abrar Ahmed over for a dot before sweeping the ball to square leg to bring up his century.
Babar Azam was dropped on Sunday, while the pace duo Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah opted to withdraw from the remaining two Tests against England.
The player draft for the much-awaited Global T20 Canada 2023 was held in a hybrid-form in Mumbai.
New Zealand clinched the tri-nation title by beating hosts Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Karachi on Friday to give them a major boost ahead of next week's Champions Trophy.
The knee injury ruled him out of the second Test against Sri Lanka and subsequent ODI series in Netherlands as well as the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE.
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