Dubai: The India–Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 encounter in Dubai began with an unexpected controversy on Sunday, when the organisers mistakenly played the wrong song instead of Pakistan’s national anthem.

The slip-up left Pakistan players visibly puzzled before officials quickly corrected the error and played the proper anthem, restoring order ahead of the high-voltage clash.

Once the formalities were settled, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. Both teams fielded unchanged lineups after opening the tournament with a dominant start. Pakistan had thrashed Oman by 93 runs, skittling them out for just 67, while India bulldozed UAE—rolling them over for 57 and chasing the target in a mere 4.3 overs. 

As ever, an India–Pakistan contest comes with more than just cricketing stakes. Political tensions between the two neighbors have heightened the anticipation, making this 20th Asia Cup meeting between the rivals one of the most highly anticipated fixtures of the tournament.

India head into the match as firm favourites, buoyed by their T20 World Cup triumph and their position as the No. 1-ranked side in men’s T20Is. Suryakumar Yadav and his squad have their sights firmly set on lifting yet another continental trophy.

Pakistan, however, arrives with confidence of its own. Under Salman Ali Agha’s captaincy, they recently bested Afghanistan and the UAE in a tri-series and have shown glimpses of consistency in the run-up to the Asia Cup.

Of the previous 19 Asia Cup encounters, India lead with 10 wins, while Pakistan has six victories to their name. Three matches have ended without a result.