Dubai: Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 11 runs in what was seen as a virtual semi-final of the 2025 Asia Cup, booking their place in the final against India. Despite managing only 135 runs on the board, Pakistan’s bowlers defended the total successfully, restricting Bangladesh to 124 for 9 in 20 overs at the Dubai International Stadium.
Shaheen Afridi was the standout performer for Pakistan, taking 3 wickets for just 17 runs in his four overs. Haris Rauf also impressed, dismissing three Bangladeshi batsmen. Taskin Ahmed led Bangladesh’s bowling attack with 3 wickets, while Mehidy Hasan and Rishad Hussain picked up two each.
Bangladesh faltered in their chase of 136 runs, losing wickets at regular intervals. Parvez Hussain Emon was dismissed for a duck in the very first over by Shaheen Afridi. Towhid Hridoy managed only 5 off 10 balls, while Saif Hasan was the only batsman who tried to build momentum with 18 off 15 balls before falling. Nurul Hasan (16 off 21) and Mehidy Hasan (10 off 11) also failed to accelerate the innings.
The match was the last Super-4 fixture for both teams and effectively served as a knockout. With this win, Pakistan advanced to face India in the Asia Cup final on September 28. For the first time in the tournament’s 41-year history, India and Pakistan will contest the final.
