The way Abhishek Sharma and Shaheen Shah Afridi play cricket is undoubtedly thrilling. Although Shaheen is clearly hostile, we’ll make an effort to subdue him. He won’t back down, in my opinion. As fans and followers, we were all on the edge of our seats when these two faced off in this tournament thus far. And the game benefits greatly from that. So let’s enjoy the fight and look forward to that on Sunday,” Morkel remarked.
The bowling coach for India gave his advice on how to handle Shaheen Shah Afridi before Sunday, September 28, the Asia Cup 2025 final. India has already won two tournament matches against Pakistan: one in the Super Four and one in the group stage.
Although Shaheen is an aggressive bowler, coach Morne Morkel insisted that India will not give up. Abhishek Sharma would try to take Shaheen early, the former South African pacer added, laying the groundwork for an exciting, nail-biting match at the summit.
Abhishek Sharma gave India a dazzling start in the first meeting between the bitter rivals, scoring 31 runs off of just 13 balls at a strike rate of 238.46. In contrast, the top Pakistani pacer had a forgettable day, giving up 23 runs in his two overs.
Abhishek Sharma once again dominated the Pakistani lead in their second Super Four encounter, leading the Men in Blue’s chase with an incredible 74 off 39 deliveries, which was peppered with five sixes and six fours. Concerns about Shaheen’s poor rhythm were raised when he continued to struggle, giving up 40 runs in 3.5 overs with no impact.
However, both players have been able to maintain their form since that match. Abhishek has continued to play aggressively at the top by recording two more half-centuries, scoring 75 against Bangladesh and 61 against Sri Lanka. In contrast, Shaheen recovered well, winning games on 3/28 against Sri Lanka and 3/17 against Bangladesh.
Now that everything is in place, the Asia Cup 2025 will be the final meeting between India and Pakistan. Pakistan will try to win the coveted trophy for the third time in their history, while the Men in Blue will go for a record-breaking ninth championship.
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