DUBAI: Pakistani fans turned out in full force at the ICC Academy on Saturday to greet their team ahead of the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final against India.

The atmosphere was electric, with supporters chanting patriotic slogans such as “Dil Dil Pakistan” and “Jeeway Jeeway Pakistan.”

The spotlight was firmly on opener Sahibzada Farhan and fast bowler Haris Rauf, whose arrival drew loud cheers and heartfelt admiration from the crowd.

Fans said both players had “stolen their hearts,” while the duo responded warmly, shaking hands and engaging with supporters before heading into training.

Located just 1.2 kilometres from the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the ICC Academy echoed with chants of “O Shahzada…!” and “Farhan Bhai, once again…!” Meanwhile, Pashtun fans extended their best wishes to Fakhar Zaman in Pashto, saying “Best of luck.”

With the high-stakes final just a day away, excitement among Pakistani fans in Dubai has reached fever pitch, as they eagerly await their favourite stars taking the field in Sunday’s historic showdown.

The Green Shirts set up a final against India after edging past Bangladesh by 11 runs in a Super Fours encounter on September 25. The final will be the first time the arch-rivals will face each other in the tournament’s history.

The 2016 champions have beaten every opposition on their path before swaggering into the final of the eight-team tournament.

Pakistan were defeated twice, first in the group stage and then in Super Fours, by an India team containing the world’s top-ranked batter and bowler in the T20 format in opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy.

The two sides will lock horns in the ultimate game as tensions remain heightened due to Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav’s controversial actions during their group match on September 14.

Pundits called his decision to skip a customary handshake at the toss and political statements in the post-match interview “unprecedented” and “detrimental to the spirit of the game.”

Following a Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) complaint, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally reprimanded Yadav over his political remarks, advising him to refrain from such actions in the future.

Despite the charged environment, Pakistan captain Salman Agha expressed his excitement for the final against India. “The amount of pressure on both teams will be the same. We will try to give our best and win the final,” he said.

Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrate the major win of England’s women’s rugby team.

As the Red Roses won the Rugby World Cup Final, the Prince and Princess of Wales took to Instagram to share their congratulations.

Sharing the poster of their win on Stories, the future King and Queen stated, “Congratulations to @redrosesrugby, the new Women’s Rugby World Cup Champions!”

They went on to add, “Well done to Canada – you had an outstanding tournament.”

“Both teams should be so proud!” Kate and William noted.

This comes after the official handle of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared an encouraging message for the team ahead of their finals.

Alongside the picture of Kate Middleton with the players from previous engagement, the statement read, “Good luck England! Wishing the very best of luck to the Red Roses in their Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham today. We’re so proud of you! C.”

Both Prince William and Kate Middleton are avid sports fans and strong supporters of various athletic endeavors.

Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, has met King Charles III in a royal audience at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The Royal Family’s official Instagram page posted a picture of Albanese standing next to King Charles.

On Saturday morning, September 27, the Australian Prime Minister landed at Lossiemouth Royal Air Force base along with his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, where they received a warm welcome by Scottish bagpipers.

In the picture, His Majesty King Charles III can be seen standing with hands behind his back, wearing a dark grey suit with a striped tie and a white shirt.

While Albanese is beaming with his hands side by side in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and black tie.

The picture also had a caption that read, “Today at Balmoral, the Prime Minister of Australia was received in audience by The King.”

Notably, a day before meeting King Charles, the Australian Prime Minister’s audience met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer.

It is pertinent to mention that this meeting of King Charles and Albanese’s audience came after the monarch hosted the United States President Donald Trump at a state banquet, where he highlighted the importance of the trilateral AUKUS relationship between the UK, US and Australia.