New Delhi, Sep 13: India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry when they clash in a Group A fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday. Both teams come into the high-voltage encounter after comfortable wins over the UAE and Oman, but their journeys since the last World Cup have followed different trajectories.

Pakistan have endured a turbulent period, struggling to find consistency and forge a clear identity as a team. Their batting has often looked brittle, while their bowling, once their strongest suit, has lacked the same sharpness. In contrast, India have grown into a formidable force, boasting a lethal combination of in-form batters and a bowling attack widely regarded as the best in the world.

Given their balance and depth, India will once again enter the contest as favourites. Yet, with the weight of history and rivalry, Pakistan remain capable of springing a surprise.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, many fans and former cricketers have voiced strong anger towards Pakistan, with some even questioning whether the match should go ahead.

However, the Indian government gave clearance for the much-anticipated game, allowing the country to play against Pakistan in “international and multilateral events”, but can’t engage in “bilateral sports events in each other’s country”.

Despite getting the official nod, there is not much hype for the weekend’s clash as tickets were available online on Saturday, a day before the match, which is not the case for matches between the nemesis.

Live Streaming details:

The match will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Following India’s emphatic 9-wicket victory over UAE in their Asia Cup 2025 opener, all-rounder Shivam Dube addressed the media at the post-match press conference, where he reflected on the match and also spoke warmly about fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Dube, who played a key role with the ball in dismantling the UAE batting lineup, was asked about frequent comparisons drawn between him and Hardik Pandya. In response, Dube dismissed any notion of rivalry, instead emphasizing admiration and respect for Pandya’s experience.

“Hardik is like a brother from whom I tend to learn a lot,” Dube said. “He has way more experience than me, both in the IPL and international cricket.” He further added that comparisons between the two don’t cross his mind. “Comparison, I never thought of, as my only endeavour is to learn as much as I can from his vast experience,” Dube stated.

Dube’s mature response highlighted his humility and team-first mindset, even as he continues to grow in stature as a reliable all-rounder for India. With performances like the one against UAE, where he took 3 wickets and bowled with discipline, Dube is steadily carving a place for himself in India’s T20 setup, while remaining grounded and focused on learning from senior players like Pandya.

India’s win over UAE not only marked a dominant start to their Asia Cup campaign but also showcased the depth in their squad, with players like Dube stepping up and contributing significantly.

India created history in their Asia Cup 2025 opener by recording their fastest win in T20I cricket. Chasing a modest target of 58 set by UAE at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India completed the chase in just 4.3 overs, finishing with an astonishing 93 balls to spare. The victory showcased India’s dominance and aggressive approach in the shortest format.

The Indian batting lineup displayed clinical execution, combining fearless stroke play with sharp running between the wickets. Every batter contributed to maintaining a relentless pace, leaving the UAE bowlers struggling to make an impact. The win also highlighted India’s depth in batting, as the team efficiently chased even a low-pressure target.

This historic performance surpassed India’s previous record for the largest T20I win in terms of balls remaining, which was achieved on November 5, 2021, against Scotland, when India had 81 balls to spare. By breaking this record, India set a new benchmark for efficiency and dominance in T20I cricket.

India’s explosive start in the Asia Cup sends a clear message to their rivals, demonstrating their ability to chase any target with precision and intent. The team’s combination of aggression, timing, and strategic running makes them a formidable side in the ongoing tournament.

New Delhi, Sep 9: The Indian mixed teams in both the rifle and pistol events missed out on medals on the opening day of the international shooting season’s fourth and final International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center, with neither pairs making it to the medal matches.

In the pistol mixed team event, the Indian pairs finished 11th and 13th in qualification, while in the rifle mixed team, the Indian pairs were placed 14th and 34th.

In the air pistol mixed team event, India’s first pair of Surbhi Rao (284) and Amit Sharma (290) registered a combined qualification score of 574-20x to finish 11th. The second pair, Olympian Rhythm Sangwan (289) and Nishant Rawat (282), finished 13th with a score of 571-15x.

The gold medal went to China’s in-form pair, Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu, who claimed a dominant 17-5 victory over Czechia’s Veronika Schejbalova and Jindrich Dubovy. This was back-to-back World Cup golds for the Chinese pair after their triumph in Munich, adding to their silvers in Buenos Aires and Lima earlier this year.

Hungary’s Veronika Major and Akos Karoly Nagy secured the bronze, defeating the Neutral Athletes’ team of Iana Enina and Anton Aristarkhov 17-13.

In the air rifle mixed team event, India’s Ramita Jindal (312.9) and Umamahesh Maddineni (315.7) shot 628.6 to finish 14th. The second pair of Meghana M. Sajjanar (312.8) and Divyansh Singh Panwar (309.3) managed 622.1, placing them 34th.

The final saw Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad and Jon-Hermann Hegg emerge champions with a 15-9 win over China’s Xinlu Peng and Lihao Sheng, who had earlier broken the world record during qualification with 636.9.

The Norwegian duo added to their gold in Lima and bronze in Munich. China’s Peng and Sheng, meanwhile, collected a second successive silver. Italy’s Carlotta Salafia and Danilo Dennis Sollazzo completed the podium with bronze.

India will look to open its medal account on Wednesday when Amit Sharma, Nishant Rawat, and Samrat Rana take to the range in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol. The field will feature a high-quality line-up of 65 athletes, including China’s World No.1 Hu Kai, winner of the last three World Cups’ Gold, Neutral Athlete and World No.5 Anton Aristarkhov, and World No.6 Jason Solari of Switzerland, silver and bronze medalists respectively in Buenos Aires. Brazil’s Felipe Almeida Wu, currently ranked World No.8 and silver medalist in Lima, will also be in contention.

Paris Olympic medallists Federico Nilo Maldini (silver) and Paolo Monna (bronze) of Italy, alongside Hungary’s Akos Karoly Nagy, add further depth to the draw. Qualification begins at 7:15 AM IST with the finals scheduled for 10 AM IST.

The Women’s 25m Pistol (Precision Stage) qualification also begins tomorrow, where Olympian Rahi Sarnobat, Abhidnya Ashok Patil, and Divya T.S. from India will go up against a competitive 57-strong field.

The line-up includes Korea’s Yang Jiin, Paris Olympic gold medallist and World No.5, along with Olympic silver and bronze medallist Camille Jedrzejewski of France and Veronika Major of Hungary.

World No.2 Yejin Oh of Korea, the reigning Olympic champion in 10m Air Pistol, World No.3 Qianxun Yao of China, and World No.8 Haniyeh Rostamiyan of Iran are also in contention.