India Or Pakistan? Wasim Akram Picks Favourite For Asia Cup 2025 Final | Cricket News

Legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram has snubbed Pakistan and instead picked India as the favourites to win the Asia Cup 2025 final. Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India will face Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, September 28, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, he has urged Salman Agha’s men to carry the confidence and momentum from the 11-run win over Bangladesh in the Super 4s into Sunday’s final.

Pakistan, despite posting a total of 135 runs against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday, managed to secure a win by 11 runs and book their place in the final of the Asia Cup 2025.

“I hope so (Pakistan’s bowling comes to the fore on Sunday too), and look, it’s an India-Pakistan game. India definitely is the favourite on Sunday,” Akram was quoted as saying by PTI on the eve of the final.

“But you guys have seen, cricket lovers have seen, I have seen, anything can happen in this format. One good innings, one spell can change the course of the game.”

“The Pakistan team should take this confidence, this momentum to Sunday and back themselves and play sensible cricket,” he added.

Akram, who led Pakistan to the final of the ODI World Cup in 1999, said that the Men in Green can test India’s middle order if their new-ball bowlers dismiss Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma early in the game.

“Ideally, a couple of early wickets, especially Abhishek and Gill, can definitely put India on the back foot. It should be a close game, and I hope in the end, the best team will win,” he added.

In the Super 4s match played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on September 21, Abhishek and Gill added 105 runs for the first wicket in the 172-run chase. In that match, Abhishek scored 74 runs from 39 balls, and Gill scored 47 runs from 28 balls.

World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek has scored three half-centuries for India in his last three matches, and he will be the key player for Surya’s men in the final as well.