India and Pakistan will square off in the Asia Cup 2025 Final, scheduled for Sunday (September 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This will be the first final between the arch-rivals in the 41-year history of the continental tournament, which began in 1984.
After India defeated Bangladesh by 41 runs on Wednesday to advance to the final, Pakistan edged past the Tigers by 11 runs on Thursday in Dubai, setting up an iconic title clash.
Ahead of the marquee fixture, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson broke his silence on the provocative gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during the Super 4 game against India.
While Farhan performed a gun-shot celebration after hitting a half-century, Rauf mimicked fighter jets going down while fielding near the boundary ropes.
The offensive gestures prompted BCCI to file a complaint with match referee Andy Pycroft and ICC.
“My message is that we are focused on the cricket and we will be doing that. Those things, you probably know more about than I do. I deal with the cricket side. In terms of gestures, there is always some passion, isn’t there?" Hesson said while speaking to the media at the post-match press conference.
“In terms of when you are in high-pressure games, our focus will be on playing a good game. That is a part of my job," he added.
As for the on-field contest, India comfortably had the better of Pakistan in the two Asia Cup 2025 matches, beating them by seven wickets in their Group A match and by six wickets in the Super 4 stage. That stretched India's unbeaten run against Pakistan to seven international matches, dating back to 2022.
Hesson said his team needs to be relentless against world champions India if they are to taste victory in the final.
"We have to be good enough to put India under pressure for longer because there is a reason why they are ranked the top side in the world. We have to put them under pressure and that will be our challenge."
"I think the way we played against India in the last match was a huge step up from the first game. The first game was a bit passive, we allowed India to control the game. The last match we had that game by the scruff of the neck for long periods and it took an exceptional innings from Abhishek Sharma that took the game away from us," he remarked.
Hesson feels his team truly deserves to play the final and they will come out swinging against the arch-rivals.
"We have deserved this opportunity so it's now up to us to make the most of it. We have been trying to be in a position to win the trophy," Hesson said.
