Pakistan skipper Salman Agha expressed his frustration after his team’s loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
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Salman Agha: Pakistan’s Struggles Continue as India Clinches Asia Cup Title
Pakistan’s run of misfortunes in the Asia Cup continued as they lost to India for the third time in three weeks. This time, it was in the final—the match that mattered the most. While Pakistan stood defeated, India celebrated their ninth Asia Cup title in history.
The Pakistan skipper looked visibly distressed after the game. When asked about the match, Salman Agha said, “It is a tough one to swallow. We couldn’t finish nicely with the bat. Bowling we were outstanding, but if we could have finished well, it would have been a different story.”
Speaking about their batting, Salman Agha added, “We need to sort our batting. Our bowling was superb, but our batting is a concern. I am proud of my team, we as a unit are very proud, and we have a lot to look forward to.”
Earlier, while receiving the runners-up cheque, frustration was visible on his face. In a show of disappointment, he even threw away the cheque after receiving it, reflecting his dissatisfaction with the result.
India win the game despite several hiccups
India won the toss and put Pakistan to bat. Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a brilliant start, looking set for a formidable total. Farhan departed after scoring a half-century, but Zaman continued his innings, and India seemed on the brink of an early victory.
However, led by Kuldeep Yadav, India staged a brilliant comeback in the middle overs. The spinners struck regularly, triggering a collapse that sank Pakistan’s innings—they lost nine wickets for just 33 runs and were bowled out for 146.
The match, however, was far from over. Faheem Ashraf led Pakistan’s charge with the early wicket of Abhishek Sharma, followed by quick dismissals of Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill. At 20/3 within the first four overs, India appeared vulnerable. Slowly, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson built a steady partnership, stabilizing the chase. Just as it seemed India might seize control, Abrar Ahmed dismissed Samson, adding another twist.
Shivam Dube walked in to join Tilak Varma, providing timely big hits to keep India in contention. Though Dube was dismissed ahead of the final over, Tilak remained composed, guiding India to a thrilling victory as Rinku Singh struck the winning runs, securing India’s ninth Asia Cup title.