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New-look sides, same old rivalry: Much-anticipated Ind vs Pak clash tonight
When India and Pakistan meet -- in any sport -- the stakes spill over into something more than just a game. It becomes a clash between neighbours bound by political tension, history, and deep mistrust.
Published: September 14, 2025
That will be the case again in the Asia Cup 2025, when Suryakumar Yadav's India, the defending champions, take on Salman Ali Agha's Pakistan tonight (8:30 pm Bangladesh Time) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Like many major events in recent years, the 17th edition of the eight-team tournament has not been spared by politics. Relations between the two nations worsened after the Pahalgam incident earlier this year, forcing hosts India to move the competition to the UAE so Pakistan could take part.
Once again, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has ensured that the Asia Cup maximises India-Pakistan encounters. Placed together in Group A alongside UAE and Oman, the two sides are likely to meet multiple times -- potentially thrice if they reach the final. It is another effort to give fans what they crave most: the high-voltage spectacle of the two sides colliding, even if bilateral cricket between the two sides remains suspended since the 2009 Mumbai attacks. With the Indian government recently formalising its sports policy on Pakistan -- ruling out bilateral series but allowing participation in multilateral events -- the stance appears to be a permanent one.
From a cricketing lens, both squads have one similarity as they arrive with fresh faces. The faces may have changed, but the rivalry retains its familiar edge -- if anything, intensified by the shifts in both camps.
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