United News of Bangladesh

India has won cricket’s Asia Cup for the ninth time with a five-wicket victory over archrival Pakistan in Sunday’s final with only two balls remaining. Tilak Varma scored a nerveless 69 not out for India off 53 balls, including a crucial six against Haris Rauf in the 20th and last over. Rinku Singh hit the winning runs with a four. Put into bat, Pakistan had earlier collapsed from 113-1 to 146 all out in 19.1 overs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. That looked like being enough after defending champion India’s terrible start to its innings, dropping to 20-3 after four overs, including the prized wicket of Abhishek Sharma (5). But Varma and Shivam Dube (33) led the recovery as India reached 150-5 in 19.4 overs. Varma added 57 off 50 balls with Sanju Samson (24) but the game-changing partnership was between Varma and Dube (33 off 22 balls). It was India’s second T20 Asia Cup victory after 2016, and ninth overall since 1984, across formats. This was the first India-Pakistan final in Asia Cup history, which started in 1984. The two sides had already met twice earlier in this tournament – in group play and Super Four — both won comfortably by India. India’s cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakistan after both those games and there were no handshakes at Sunday’s toss.

Strip away the noise around an India–Pakistan final, and the cricketing question for tonight’s Asia Cup title match is simple, who will control the middle overs? For all the talk of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s swing up front and Abhishek Sharma’s blazing starts, the trophy may well rest on how India’s Kuldeep Yadav–Varun Chakravarthy axis matches up against Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed once the field spreads. Dubai has rewarded smart spin throughout this tournament. India’s two earlier wins over Pakistan both tilted when Suryakumar Yadav turned to Kuldeep and Varun with runs already banked. Kuldeep has punished anything that gripped; Varun’s pace-off and flat lengths have smothered release shots. Together, they have pushed batters into risky cross-bat strokes and miscues to the deep. The upshot: India have not needed totals over 180 to look comfortable. Pakistan’s reply is Abrar. His economy in this Asia Cup has hovered near five an over — the best of any bowler with a serious workload. When he lands the ripping legbreak early and then shortens his length, even set batters can freeze. Asia Cup Final: Powerplay nerve and death overs discipline will decide title His second outing against India was more expensive than the first, but the method was sound: get into the game as soon as the Powerplay fades and drag the rate back toward par. Those ten overs after the first six have also been Pakistan’s soft spot with the bat. They’ve relied on streaks — a Fakhar Zaman burst here, a Faheem Ashraf cameo there — to cover up quiet stretches. Against Bangladesh, it took a lower-order rescue — even a hand from Shaheen with the bat — to patch up a collapse. That won’t hold if Kuldeep and Varun choke the middle and make sevens feel like nines. Conditions add their own wrinkle. Dew hasn’t swung matches yet, but late September in Dubai can be unpredictable. A wet ball kills grip, and skidding cutters sit up. If the outfield glistens after the break, captains will want to chase. If it stays dry, 160 can feel like 180 provided spinners own the seam. Team balance matters, too. India may stick with Axar Patel for matchup depth, giving Suryakumar three distinct spin options. Pakistan’s temptation will be to squeeze in another hitter; the danger is losing a spinner’s over and handing India six pace-heavy balls on a track asking for turn. That isn’t to dismiss the headline acts. Abhishek vs Shaheen will set the tone. If Abhishek lasts, he buys Kuldeep and Varun a platform. If Shaheen cuts him down early, Abrar comes on with scoreboard pressure as an ally, not a weight. ICC warns Indian cricketer Suryakumar to steer clear of politics after Pakistan complaint But for once in an India–Pakistan clash, the telling images may not be stumps cartwheeling or balls sailing into the stands. It may be a batter groping at a legbreak, a top-spin slider thudding pad, or an over of three singles when four were needed. In a final that promises fireworks, it might just be the quiet squeeze of spin that tips the trophy.

India walk into the Asia Cup final with two convincing wins over Pakistan already in the bag. Pakistan managed a ticket for the final with something rarer: momentum salvaged when things looked shaky. Strip away the noise about handshakes, hearings and history, and tonight looks like a test of temperament — how each side copes with the first six overs and just as crucially, the last five. Start with the Powerplay: India have often sprinted to 50 inside five overs, with opening batter Abhishek Sharma throwing punches early and Shubman Gill timing his strokes. That cushion has spared a middle order that hasn’t always been fluent. Pakistan know the calculation: If Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf don’t crack India’s top two in the first 18 balls, they’re left chasing angles for the next dozen overs. Shaheen looks closer to his old self — tailing the ball in, hitting the deck hard, and finding wickets in the first over. Rauf, sometimes criticised in the longer format, is better suited to T20 bursts: one over in the Powerplay, another around the 12th, just to jolt rhythm. If Pakistan can take out one opener and push Suryakumar Yadav’s entry into the spinners’ stretch, they tilt the tempo their way. ICC warns Indian cricketer Suryakumar to steer clear of politics after Pakistan complaint Flip it around, and India’s start with Jasprit Bumrah is all about control. He doesn’t always blast doors open; more often he keeps them locked. His 18-for-2 the other night showed how quickly he can put a chase on hold. That sets up the Kuldeep–Varun combination to operate without chasing wickets. Dot balls early, and Pakistan’s middle order is forced to gamble against turn. The closing overs bring a different kind of strain. India have generally finished better — either because they’re ahead by the 15th over, or by nailing their yorker-and-slower-ball routines. When they slip, it’s often around the 17th, when a chase suddenly breathes again. Pakistan have lived the reverse: scraping to par scores, then defending them by clamping the final five overs. Shaheen tends to return clear-eyed, Rauf unleashes the bouncer, and a third option — maybe Abrar or a seamer — cleans up the margins. Selection calls feed into that temperament test. India are likely to bring back Bumrah and Shivam Dube after a rest. Dube didn’t click in his last tactical move but still offers a seam option and reach at the finish. Pakistan, settled for three games now, look likely to stick. Captain Salman Agha put it plainly: don’t muzzle the quicks — let them impose themselves, as long as they don’t cross the line. And then there are the small things that finals often swing on: a relay throw cut off cleanly, a sharp take at 130 kph, running the first hard to stretch singles into twos. Bangladesh crash out after batting collapse hands Pakistan Asia Cup final spot India’s fielding against Bangladesh was patchy; they can’t afford repeats. Pakistan’s calling has been jittery; one misjudged single in Dubai can flip momentum. Yes, match-ups matter — Abhishek vs Shaheen, Kuldeep vs Fakhar, Abrar vs Tilak. But finals tend to punish panic and reward clarity. The side that breathes through the Powerplay and keeps its nerve in the last five overs will be the one lifting the cup.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) warned Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav for making political comments, after Pakistan issued complaints against him.    It was expected that Suryakumar would be imposed a fine, but that was not the reality. He was warned after a hearing in Dubai during the Asia Cup, overseen by the match referee Richi Richardson.    He was advised to keep his comments on cricket only.    The controversy began after India’s win over Pakistan on September 14. Suryakumar, in a TV interview, used the phrase “Operation Sindoor” — a term Pakistan argued was tied to military operations in Kashmir.   Bangladesh crash out after batting collapse hands Pakistan Asia Cup final spot   The Pakistan board complained formally, saying the remark dragged politics into the game.   The issue has fed into a tournament already loaded with tension.   Earlier, Pakistan had accused referee Andy Pycroft of telling the captains not to shake hands at the toss. That incident almost led to a boycott threat before Pycroft apologized for what he called a misunderstanding.   India, meanwhile, has hit back with complaints of its own. The BCCI wrote to the ICC about gestures made by Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan during the September 21 Super Four match.   Farhan’s half-century was followed by a mock rifle salute, while Rauf was seen making a hand signal that Indian fans said mimicked the downing of a plane.   Whether those cases are pursued remains unclear.   For now, the ICC insists its officials act fairly and its players avoid politics. But with India and Pakistan, every word and gesture seems to carry extra weight.   India and Pakistan, not-so-friendly neighbours, are all set to take on each other in the Asia Cup final on Sunday in Dubai.   

For a while, it felt like Bangladesh were about to write a different story. Pakistan had been reduced to 49 for 5, the Dubai stands were roaring with red-and-green flags, and a fourth Asia Cup final seemed within reach. By the end of the night, the noise had gone quiet. Pakistan scraped to 135 for 8, and Bangladesh, chasing a modest 169, folded for 124, losing by 11 runs. It was not the target that beat them so much as the manner of the chase. Parvez Hossain lasted two balls. Towhid Hridoy scratched to 5 off 10. Mahedi Hasan and Nurul Hasan never shifted gears. Even stand-in captain Jaker Ali, spoken as a power hitter and trusted with finisher’s role, managed only 5 off nine balls before nicking off. Across six games, he did not clear the rope once — a telling stat for a player once labeled Bangladesh’s “big hitter in waiting.” Asia Cup: Bangladesh need 136 runs in must-win clash against Pakistan The only real resistance came from Shamim Hossain, who made 30 off 25, and Saif Hassan’s earlier 25. But wickets kept falling, and when Shamim departed, the match was gone. The frustration was sharper because the bowlers had given Bangladesh a chance. Taskin Ahmed struck twice up front, Mahedi and Rishad chipped in, and the seamers strung together 55 dot balls. Yet catches went down, and Pakistan clawed past 130, a total that proved just enough. So Pakistan march into Sunday’s final, where they will meet India in the first-ever Asia Cup title clash between the two rivals. India secure Asia Cup final; Bangladesh face must-win clash against Pakistan For Bangladesh, it was another night of ifs and buts — chances created but squandered, and a campaign that ended one step short of the finish line.

Bangladesh have been set a target of 136 runs by Pakistan in a must-win Asia Cup Super Four clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. Opting to bat first, Pakistan were restricted to a modest total, thanks to a disciplined and strategic bowling performance by Bangladesh. The bowlers kept a tight line, applying pressure throughout the innings. Young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain played a key role, removing Fakhar Zaman for 13 off 20 balls right after the Powerplay, before striking again in his next over to dismiss Hussain Talat for 3. At the 10-over mark, Pakistan were struggling at 46 for 4. Pakistan captain Salman Agha remained unbeaten on 18 off 21 balls, while Mohammad Haris finished not out on 8 off 5 deliveries, helping Pakistan limp to a competitive but chaseable total. This match is crucial for both sides, with a place in the final hanging in the balance. A loss for either team would effectively end their Asia Cup campaign. Bangladesh Playing XI: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali (capt & wk), Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

India walked into the Asia Cup final on Wednesday night with a 41-run victory over Bangladesh in Dubai, a result shaped by Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 75 and a clinical display of spin bowling that left their opponents short of answers. Asked to bat first, India looked in no mood to settle in. Abhishek, timing everything sweetly, and Shubman Gill gave them 72 in the powerplay. Abhishek’s 37-ball knock, laced with six fours and five sixes, set the early pace. Gill chipped in with 29 before Bangladesh managed to apply some brakes. Rishad Hossain, with his leg-spin, picked up two wickets, and Mustafizur Rahman dismissed India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav. Hardik Pandya, though, ensured the finish was strong, making 38 from 29 balls to lift India to 168 for six — a total that always felt above par. The reply from Bangladesh never carried conviction. Tanzid Hasan was bowled by Bumrah for one, and from there the innings lurched. Only Saif Hassan held his ground, carving a defiant 69 off 51 deliveries with five towering sixes. Emon’s 21 was the next best contribution. Beyond them, the line-up collapsed: Shamim Hossain fell for a duck, captain Jaker Ali ran himself out, and the lower order never stitched together resistance. From 65 for three at the halfway point, Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for just 62 runs. India’s bowlers were relentless. Bumrah’s opening burst — four overs for just 18 runs and two wickets — set the tone. Kuldeep Yadav (three for 18) and Varun Chakravarthy (two for 29) suffocated the middle overs, while Tilak Varma chipped in with the final wicket to seal it with three balls left unused. For India, it was another night of balance and control, despite some sloppy fielding late on. “We wanted to bat first in a big game and see how we go,” Suryakumar said afterwards. Abhishek, named Player of the Match, played down his fireworks: “I just try to keep it simple. Look at the field, back the shots I work on.” For Bangladesh, it was a familiar tale of one man fighting a lone battle. Saif’s innings kept the scoreboard respectable, but there was little support around him. Jaker admitted as much: “After ten overs we bowled well, but chasing we never really got going. We’ll take the positives and move on quickly.” There was at least one record to note: Mustafizur’s wicket made him Bangladesh’s leading bowler in T20 internationals, moving to 150 career wickets, ahead of Shakib Al Hasan. But that milestone offered little comfort. India, unbeaten in the tournament, can now plan for Sunday’s final. Bangladesh, by contrast, have no time to dwell. They meet Pakistan less than 24 hours later in what amounts to a semifinal for them. Win, and the dream of a final stays alive. Lose, and the campaign ends with regrets.

Bangladesh will walk into the Dubai International Stadium tonight knowing exactly what stands in front of them: an Indian side that has yet to lose a game in this Asia Cup and carries three No. 1 ranked players in T20 cricket. Suryakumar Yadav’s team brushed aside Pakistan in their last outing, chasing down 172 with more than an over to spare. Before that, they eased past Oman and Sri Lanka, powered by the heavy scoring of opener Abhishek Sharma and the control of spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. India have been clinical — and the numbers tell the story. Since the start of 2024 they have lost just three of 35 T20 internationals. But Bangladesh come into the contest with their own momentum. Liton Das’s side beat Sri Lanka in their first Super Four match, a chase that went deep into the final over and showed a steel not always associated with Bangladesh in this format. Saif Hassan’s fifty and Towhid Hridoy’s return to form have given them reason to believe. The question is how to transfer that belief into a result against a team that, on paper, has very few weak points. The blueprint may lie in the small margins. India’s top order — Sharma and Shubman Gill — tends to explode in the powerplay. Getting Sharma early will be crucial; his strike rate of nearly 200 means even a 30-ball stay can be match-defining. Offspinner Mahedi Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed are options Bangladesh might lean on with the new ball. Gill, too, has vulnerabilities. He has been prone to lbw when trapped by fuller deliveries on the stumps, and there are questions about his judgment outside off.  Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, familiar with Indian batters through IPL, will need to find those lines quickly. For Bangladesh’s batters, the challenge is to keep the scoreboard moving against India’s spinners. Kuldeep and Varun rarely offer loose deliveries, so strike rotation will be key. Liton, if fit after a recent training injury, and Tanzid Hasan must take advantage of the fielding restrictions. A strong platform is non-negotiable if Bangladesh are to dream of 180-plus. The toss could play its part. Dew in Dubai has made defending totals tricky, with bowlers struggling to grip the ball under lights. India, confident chasers throughout this tournament, have thrived on it. Bangladesh will have to weigh the benefits of batting first — and perhaps forcing India into an uncomfortable chase — against the risk of bowling second with a wet ball. Bangladesh not playing their brand of cricket, says Mukund Beyond tactics, there is history. Bangladesh have beaten India only once in 17 T20 meetings, in Delhi in 2019. The venue then, a sluggish pitch aiding spinners, bears some resemblance to Dubai. That sliver of precedent may be what Liton and his team cling to. Nobody is under illusions. India start as overwhelming favorites. Yet Bangladesh have shown enough resilience this tournament to believe they can at least stretch the contest. As Mustafizur said after the win against Sri Lanka, “On the day, one spell or one partnership can change everything.” For Bangladesh, that day needs to be today.    

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election has turned into a political slugfest, with both sides hurling serious accusations just weeks before the vote. On Saturday, former national captain Tamim Iqbal told reporters in Dhaka that “powerful quarters in government” were trying to interfere with the October 6 election. He didn’t mention names, but his words were taken as a direct swipe at Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud.  By Sunday night, Asif hit back on live television. He denied any government meddling, insisting that routine communication from ministries was being twisted as “interference.” But then he dropped a bombshell, accusing Tamim’s backers of using his name as cover for strong-arm tactics. “People in Tamim bhai’s name are abducting others to grab club councilorships,” Asif said on a tv interview. “One senior official was even called and told to quit the race in exchange for being made CEO. What do you call that if not terrorism? These activities are happening with Tamim’s banner in front. I don’t know how much he realises,” he added.  Tamim, who is contesting as a councilor from Old DOHS, had stood alongside BNP politicians at Saturday’s press conference, where his group alleged that the Cabinet Division, Sports Ministry and National Sports Council were all trying to stack the list of councilors with government loyalists. “If you keep changing names through ad hoc committees, this isn’t an election anymore — it becomes a selection,” Tamim said. Former star Australian umpire to join BCB in September The clash has laid bare the political divide now running through cricket’s governing body. Tamim is being openly backed by BNP figures, while Asif and current BCB chief Aminul Islam are seen as aligned with the ruling Awami League. Asif insisted he wanted a fair contest. “If Tamim Iqbal were simply running as one of Bangladesh’s greatest cricketers, I’d be happy,” he said. “But not as a candidate of a political party.”    

India rode on a blistering opening stand from Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill to ease past Pakistan by six wickets in their Asia Cup Super Four encounter on Sunday night, wrapping up the chase with seven balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium. Set 172, India came out swinging. Abhishek, the left-hander who has been growing in stature over the past year, produced a career-defining knock of 74 off just 39 balls, striking six fours and five sixes. Gill, equally fluent, cracked 47 off 28.  Together they put on 105 for the first wicket in under 10 overs, effectively taking the game away from Pakistan before the halfway stage. Pakistan had no answers during that onslaught. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s pace was blunted, his final over disappearing for 10 runs. Haris Rauf fought back admirably, picking up two wickets and giving little away in his four overs, but the damage was already done. After Gill’s dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav fell cheaply, and Abhishek followed soon after, caught at long-off against the run of play. For a moment, Pakistan sniffed a chance when Sanju Samson departed for 13, leaving India at 148 for 4. But Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya ensured there would be no collapse. Tilak sealed the win with a six and a four off Shaheen in the 19th over, finishing unbeaten on 30 off 19. Earlier, Pakistan had posted 171 for 5. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 58, while captain Salman Agha chipped in with 17 not out. Faheem Ashraf’s late cameo of 20 from eight balls gave the innings a lift after Farhan and Saim Ayub (21) had set up a promising platform. But Pakistan could not accelerate as much as they hoped; Shivam Dube removed two batters, and Kuldeep Yadav struck in the middle overs to peg them back. Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 64 the previous night against Bangladesh had shown how decisive late hitting can be in Dubai, but Pakistan managed only 80 in their last 10 overs. That left them at least 15 runs short, a fact acknowledged by their camp afterwards. The contest had its edge: Haris Rauf and Abhishek exchanged words during a fiery spell, and Shaheen was animated after dismissing Gill.  But India’s dressing room stayed calm, knowing the game had been set up by their openers. “This was the only way to give them the medicine,” Abhishek said afterward, reflecting on his aggressive intent. For India, it was as close to a perfect chase as it gets — a commanding win that strengthens their bid for the final, while Pakistan are left to regroup quickly ahead of tough assignments against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.