stroked 69 not out off 53 balls to steer India to a famous five-wicket victory in the title clash, dedicated his knock to "all the Indians".
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
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.
With the much-anticipated Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan looming, India is sparing no effort in their training sessions, honing skills and strategising tactics.
Sanju Samson continued his dream run in T20I cricket, smashing his second consecutive century in the first match of the series against South Africa at Kingsmead, in Durban on Friday night.
Rahul Dravid's exit as Rajasthan Royals' head coach has more than what meets the eye
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
Team India got down to business with a high-energy practice session in Dubai on Wednesday.
Josh Hazlewood clinically dismantled a famed Indian top-order with a probing spell to kill the contest as Australia cantered to a four-wicket victory in the second T20 International.
Sanju Samson's technical weaknesses against express pace along with Rinku Singh's dip in form and fitness issues will be a concern for India
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Yorkers on the field, reels off it -- Arshdeep Singh is mastering both games. The left-arm pacer, already India's leading T20I wicket-taker, is fast becoming cricket's social media star.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
Sanju Samson not batting enough at number five and six doesn't mean he can't do the job there, said India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday while expressing confidence in the Kerala dasher's ability ahead of the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
Sanju Samson continues red-hot run in KCL with a quickfire 89.
'Easily the best innings of his career so far.'
Sanju Samson became the co-owner of Malappuram Football Club, which competes in the Super League Kerala.
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.
'We cannot deny that Pakistan also played brilliantly.'
Abhishek Sharma's brutal yet beautiful stroke-play was the highlight of India's optional net session on Tuesday
Sanju Samson's blistering century against South Africa marked a turning point in his international career, showcasing a level of maturity and aggression that has captivated cricket fans worldwide.
Is this a subtle hint at a change of guard at Rajasthan Royals?
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
Tickets for the match on September 14 are in huge demand than for any other match. Most journalists are also arriving only in time for this match, even skipping India's opening match against the UAE on September 10.
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.
Trying to make maximum utilisation of my current form: Sanju Samson
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Abhishek Sharma reached 931 ratings point, which is 12 more than the previous best rating of 919 attained by England's Dawid Malan in 2020.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
'My bat did its work, and they (Pakistan) did not get a chance to speak.'
'(On Parag and Jaiswal) They are 22 each, so is Jurel. With very little experience, the way they are performing at this level is amazing.'
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
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.
'People should realise he is an impact player, like Virender Sehwag.' 'You don't expect these players to score a 70-80 every time they bat, but whenever they score they will win matches for your team.'
'To take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible, but he is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is.'
According to sources, the ICC fined Pakistan tearaway, Rauf, while opening batter Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his controversial celebration gesture during the Super Fours fixture against arch-rival India at the ongoing Asia Cup.
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
Chakravarthy couldn't stop praising Kuldeep saying: 'It gave me memories of KKR when we were playing together. And he's always a star. He's one of the best spinners.'
While CSK had one of its worst seasons in 2025, Ashwin played just nine games, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.12.
Although Shubman Gill's return to the T20 side has cast a shadow over Sanju Samson's place in the playing XI for the Asia Cup in the UAE, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter will be counting on head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has often spoken highly of his positive attitude.
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