Pakistan edged Bangladesh by 11 runs in Dubai to secure a historic India-Pakistan Asia Cup final, the first in more than four decades. Defending 135, Pakistan’s bowlers delivered under pressure, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Saim Ayub sharing key strikes.
Shaheen set the tone in the powerplay with two wickets, while Ayub, after another failure with the bat, produced a double-strike to derail Bangladesh’s chase. Rauf also chipped in with three wickets, despite a late injury scare. Bangladesh, who struck more sixes than Pakistan, lost momentum as they kept holing out in search of big hits on a tricky surface. Shamim Hossain’s 30 was the top score, but it wasn’t enough as they closed on 124 for 9.
Earlier, Pakistan’s batting faltered after Taskin Ahmed, fresh from rest, struck in his first over to dismiss Sahibzada Farhan. Taskin also became the third Bangladeshi bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets. Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain kept the pressure on, with Rishad claiming Fakhar Zaman and Hussain Talat in quick succession. At 49 for 5, Pakistan looked in trouble.
The rescue act came from Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz. Haris scored 31 off 23, while Nawaz contributed a vital 25 off 15. Afridi chipped in with two sixes before falling for 19. Their efforts ensured Pakistan posted 135, a total that proved just enough.
In the chase, Bangladesh threatened early with Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan finding boundaries, but consistent strikes from Rauf and Ayub halted progress. Afridi returned to remove Shamim with the old ball, sealing the game. Bangladesh also missed the presence of Litton Das, sidelined with injury, as their middle order collapsed under pressure.
Despite nervy moments, Pakistan held their composure to win and book their spot in Sunday’s final against India, setting up one of cricket’s most anticipated clashes.
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