Pakistan previously secured Asia Cup victories in 2000 and 2012, with their most recent final appearance occurring in 2022.
Asia Cup, Super Four, Dubai
Pakistan 135-8 (20 overs): Haris 31 (23); Taskin 3-28
Bangladesh 124-9 (20 overs): Shamim 30 (25); Shaheen 3-17
Pakistan won by 11 runs
Pakistan clinched a spot in the Asia Cup final against India after a successful defense of 136, defeating Bangladesh by 11 runs.
The two-time champions, Pakistan, have already encountered the defending champions twice in the tournament, with India emerging victorious in both matches. However, these encounters have been marked by heightened tensions between the two sides, overshadowing the on-field cricket.
Following India’s seven-wicket victory in the group stage, players notably did not engage in the customary handshake, with Pakistan’s head coach, Mike Hesson, alleging that India declined the gesture. A handshake between the captains was also absent at the coin toss.
A similar situation unfolded during their subsequent Super Fours meeting, which India secured by six wickets. The match also witnessed several contentious moments between players, notably requiring umpire intervention between India’s opener, Abhishek Sharma, and Pakistan’s bowler, Haris Rauf.
The final is scheduled to take place in Dubai on Sunday.
Pakistan and Bangladesh entered the Super Four stage’s penultimate match with the winner advancing to the final. Bangladesh appeared poised for Sunday’s trophy match after restricting Pakistan to 135-8.
Early strikes from Taskin Ahmed (3-28) and Mahedi Hasan (2-28) reduced Pakistan to 5-2 within the initial 10 balls, with wickets continuing to fall, leaving the batting side struggling at 49-5 in the 11th over.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris top-scored with 31 (23), forging partnerships with Shaheen Shah Afridi (19) and Mohammad Nawaz (25) to guide Pakistan past the 100-run mark. However, Mahedi and Taskin dismissed the trio, preventing any late-innings fireworks.
Bangladesh faced their own batting challenges, losing three wickets in the powerplay and subsequently falling to 44-4.
Shamim Hossain’s 30 (25) briefly revived their chase hopes, but his dismissal by Shaheen (3-17) in the 17th over was quickly followed by two wickets in three balls from Haris Rauf. Despite some late boundaries from Rishad Hossain, Bangladesh fell short of the target.
Bangladesh, yet to win the men’s Asia Cup, join Sri Lanka in being eliminated from the Super Fours, with the latter scheduled to face the unbeaten India in the final group match on Friday.
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