UAE batter Alishan Sharafu hailed the quality of India's players ahead of their Asia Cup opening match in Dubai on Wednesday.
This year's Asia Cup hangs in the balance following the recent clashes between tournament hosts India and arch-rivals Pakistan.
Sunday's final can be called the ultimate stress-test day for every cricket fan's heartbeat.
Asia Cup: Hardik Pandya goes past Chahal to become second-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is
An ardent cricket fan told me he was 118,000th in the queue, and within minutes, he received the disappointing news that his hopes of securing a ticket had vanished with all tickets sold out.
The Indian team refused to take the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and known for his vocal anti-India stand.
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha on Wednesday admitted that his team's middle-order remains a concern and said the batters will need to step up in upcoming matches, including the Super 4 clash against India in the Asia Cup.
According to Samaa TV, the Pakistan management claimed the TV umpire did not examine all available angles before announcing its decision. Pakistan's protest emphasised how the evidence was not "clear and conclusive" to justify ruling Fakhar out, and the umpire's call favoured the fielding side despite replays showing a margin of uncertainty.
When I interviewed Alishan Sharafu as a 14-year-old schoolboy following his huge scores in domestic matches, he told me he wanted to bat like A B de Villiers.
It was an optional net session ahead of the Pakistan clash but Shubman Gill's obsession with practice meant he couldn't resist hitting the nets even when most teammates preferred recovery.
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
However, Wassan also believed that Suryakumar made a political statement mentioning Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam during the post-match presentation and press conference following the group stage clash between the two teams, which could have been avoided.
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
India likely to play on fresh pitches
New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra believes adapting to the conditions will be key to success in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai.
Suryakumar fined 30 percent of match fee, India appeal verdict
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
The legendary Kapil Dev on Friday backed India to win the Asia Cup but stressed on collective efforts taking precedence over individual brilliance ahead of the high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Dubai.
Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a "formal protest" against match referee Andy Pycroft alleging that he asked both captains not to shake hands during the toss.
Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf sparked controversy by using a derogatory term to insult India captain Suryakumar Yadav during a live TV discussion.
Eventually, the speculations cleared up after it was confirmed by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He disclosed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony from ACC Chairman Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister.
'He is a permanent fixture when it comes to the Indian team. He has been match referee 90 times in India's matches.'
Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah overtook Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become team's fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.
Such is the race for breaking news that if an Indian player sneezes, a report may immediately go out stating he may have caught the flu bug and could be a doubtful starter!
The BCCI has drawn a firm line-there will be no bilateral cricket with Pakistan, now or in the future, says vice-president Rajeev Shukla.
With little time wasted, the fans captured the cricketers' pictures and videos on their phones, standing a mere 5 metres away and separated only by a barricade and a few security personnel.
The women's wing of the Sena UBT will launch a Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan, a protest campaign where women will take to the streets to express their outrage.
Abhishek notched his third successive fifty in the tournament with a fluent knock which came at a staggering strike rate of 196.77, containing eight fours and two sixes.
'You told me to give revs on the ball. I decided to give the ball some spin and get some bounce. Because of that, I got three wickets, you got two.'
Hardik Pandya could become the first Indian and overall the third player in the history of T20 Internationals to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
The mystery spinner even has a YouTube channel dedicated to football discussions.
'This is not a match with one team. There are 6-7 more teams in it. We have to win against them, too. Only then will we win the trophy.'
As India gear up for their second Super 4s match in the Asia Cup, against Bangladesh in Dubai on Wednesday, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is on the verge of becoming the second Indian to complete 100 T20I wickets, and overall, he will be the 26th to do so.
'Should a player with such deep understanding of the ODI format be removed from captaincy when neither age nor performance has dimmed his brilliance?', asks veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Shaheen Shah Afridi steered clear of giving a direct response to Suryakumar Yadav's view that Indo-Pak games should not be considered a rivalry.
Gill's highest score in the three Asia Cup matches has been an unbeaten 20 with the Test skipper failing to click in the games against Pakistan and Oman after a fruitful red-ball away series against England.
Kane Williamson is too long in the tooth to get dragged into the debate over India getting to play the Champions Trophy final in Dubai.
With WI Tests starting next week, 25 overs in Asia Cup is good build-up for Bumrah: Doeschate
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Friday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the India and Pakistan clash in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
'First, Pakistan was knocked out of the tournament, and now, the final is out of Pakistan.'
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