Salman Ali Agha, captain of the Pakistan cricket team, admitted that weak batting was the decisive factor behind Pakistan’s loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan began the innings positively with openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman putting together an 84-run partnership before the halfway stage. Farhan played an impressive knock of 57 runs off 38 balls, giving Pakistan a strong platform. However, once he was dismissed, the momentum shifted completely.
India’s spinner Kuldeep Yadav led the fightback, applying pressure and triggering a sudden collapse. Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 33 runs, eventually being bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs.
Despite the batting failure, Pakistan’s bowlers showed resilience. They reduced India to 20 for three within the first four overs, sparking hopes of an unlikely comeback. However, Tilak Varma’s unbeaten innings guided India to victory with only two balls remaining, sealing the title.
After the match, Agha praised the bowlers for their fighting spirit but highlighted the urgent need for the batting lineup to improve. He noted that the inability to rotate strike and the frequent loss of wickets were the biggest reasons behind Pakistan’s defeat.
The captain expressed pride in his team’s overall effort throughout the tournament but promised significant adjustments in the batting department. He assured fans that Pakistan would learn from this setback and return stronger in upcoming competitions.
