Salman Ali Agha Admits Batting Collapse Led to Pakistan’s Asia Cup Final Defeat
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged that poor batting was the key reason behind his side’s loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan made a promising start, with openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman putting on 84 runs before the halfway stage. Farhan impressed with a quickfire 57 off 38 balls, but his dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse.
India’s spinners, led by Kuldeep Yadav, capitalized on the pressure as Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 33 runs, eventually being bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs.
Despite an early fightback with the ball—reducing India to 20 for three inside four overs—Pakistan could not defend the modest total. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten knock guided India to victory with two balls remaining.
Speaking after the match, Agha praised his bowlers for their determination but admitted the batting unit had fallen short. He highlighted the failure to rotate strike and the frequent loss of wickets as decisive factors in the defeat.
The skipper expressed pride in the team’s overall effort but promised necessary improvements in the batting department, assuring fans that Pakistan will learn from this setback and come back stronger in future tournaments.
