For The First Time In 41 Years! India To Face Pakistan In The Asia Cup Final...
India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final: The Asia Cup was first played in 1984. Since then, 17 seasons of the Asia Cup have been held. There is a gap of 41 years between 1984 and 2025. However, this will be the first time that India and Pakistan will face each other in the final of this prestigious tournament. Overall, this is a historic moment for this tournament.
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This is being considered the biggest twist of the tournament. Pakistan secured its place in the final against India by defeating Bangladesh in the Super-4 match on September 25th. However, it was anticipated from the beginning of the tournament that the final would be between the two countries.
For the first time in 41 years!
India and Pakistan will face each other in the final of the Asia Cup for the first time in the 17th edition of the Asia Cup. India has won the final of this tournament eight times. These include 1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2023.
India and Pakistan will battle in the Asia Cup final
Pakistan has won the cup only twice, in 2000, 2012, and 2015. The biggest twist here is that the two countries have never faced each other in the final. Sri Lanka has won this tournament six times: in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, and 2022. The 2022 Asia Cup will continue to be a T20 format.
How many times have Pakistan and India finished runner-up in the Asia Cup?
The Indian team leads the Asia Cup in winning the title. It has also been runner-up three times. However the team India lost in the finals of 1997, 2004, and 2008. Sri Lanka defeated them in the final all three times. Now, when India plays Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, it will be its 12th Asia Cup final.
Who will prevail statistically
The Indian team lost in the finals of 1997, 2004, and 2008. Sri Lanka defeated them in the final on all three occasions. Now, when India plays Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, it will be its 12th Asia Cup final. Pakistan was the runner-up in 1986, 2014, and 2022 (T20 format).
India did not play in the 1986 Asia Cup
Team India did not play in the 1986 Asia Cup because cricketing relations with Sri Lanka were not good at that time. Pakistan also boycotted the 1990–91 tournament due to poor political relations with India. This led to the cancellation of the 1993 Asia Cup. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) later decided that from 2009 onwards, the tournament would be played every two years. The ICC also decided that all matches played in the Asia Cup would be considered official ODI matches.
Summary
Following the downsizing of the ACC in 2015, the ICC (International Cricket Council) announced that from 2016, the Asia Cup would alternate between ODI and T20 formats, depending on the format of the next major tournament. Consequently, the 2016 Asia Cup was played in the T20 format for the first time. Later, in 2022 and now in 2025, it was played in the T20 format.