Sports
First Pakistan-India match since May conflict fires up Asia Cup 2025
- Pakistan last faced India in Champions Trophy in February.
- Arch-rivals will clash again in Dubai on September 14.
- Asia Cup to serve as build-up towards T20I World Cup in 2026.
NEW DELHI: A blockbuster between Pakistan and India headlines the Asia Cup starting on Tuesday as they face off for the first time in cricket since the military conflict in May.
Along with regional bragging rights, the T20I competition will serve as a build-up towards the T20I World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.
The eight-team event in the United Arab Emirates begins when Afghanistan play minnows Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan clash in Dubai on September 14, with Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram saying players and fans from both teams should “remain disciplined and not cross the line”.
The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal.
The two Asian cricketing giants have been clubbed together in the same group and could potentially meet three times in the tournament, which concludes on September 28.
There have been tensions in the build-up after the two countries fought an intense four-day conflict — their worst since 1999.
The hostilities in May left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone and artillery exchanges, before a ceasefire was reached eventually.
With lingering bitterness, an Indian team of retired players withdrew from their semi-final with Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends in July-August in England.
Led by former international Yuvraj Singh, the Indians also refused to play Pakistan in the group stage of the tournament, as clamour grew among fans to boycott the games.
Strong favourites
Pakistan and India last met in cricket, again in Dubai, in February in the 50-over Champions Trophy, with India winning by six wickets and going on to lift the title.
They are also defending Asia Cup champions and led by Suryakumar Yadav, are favourites against their old foes with a 10-3 win record against Pakistan in T20Is.
Pakistan will be without star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both dropped from the shortest format because of poor form.
India won the previous Asia Cup, which was played in a 50-over format in 2023, when they beat hosts Sri Lanka in the final in Colombo. India are strong favourites to retain their crown.
The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council — Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — earned automatic qualification to the tournament.
They are joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE, teams that secured their spots by finishing in the top three of the ACC men’s Premier Cup.
Group A is made up of India, Pakistan, the hosts UAE and Oman.
Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.
The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round, followed by the final in Dubai.
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Pakistan set 208-run target for Australia in final T20I
Pakistan posted a 208-run target for Australia following Saim Ayub and Babar Azam’s half-centuries after opting to bat first in the third and final T20I at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
Sports
Over to you, City: Arsenal recover power and poise in classic Arteta win
LEEDS, England — Whatever fate awaits Arsenal in this Premier League title race, they are determined to do it their way. Much of the fallout from last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United centered on suggestions the Gunners have to do something different from here to win their first league crown since 2004.
Mikel Arteta spoke of a clear-the-air meeting a day later in which they vowed to “live and play with enjoyment … courage … and conviction they are going to win it.”
Dropping captain Martin Ødegaard against Leeds hinted at something different. But in the end, they thrashed Leeds United 4-0 on Saturday with a performance that was quintessentially Arteta’s Arsenal.
One goal from a recycled corner, another direct from a corner, a Viktor Gyökeres close-range finish and substitute Gabriel Jesus‘ late strike secured a win that extends their lead at the top of the table back to seven points.
It wasn’t necessarily “fun” — the football was one again formulaic — but it was Arsenal at their effective best. They strangled the life out of Leeds and their vociferous Elland Road crowd with a level of control they only momentarily threatened to relinquish as the home side tried to rouse themselves early in the second half.
There was courage on display, and they certainly had conviction. But significantly, this was Arsenal being Arsenal. There was no timidity or self-doubt. This is how Arteta believes Arsenal can win the league: Dominate possession and territory, extract an advantage from set pieces and send on the “finishers” to complete the job.
The combination was a hugely impressive response to their winless three-game run. No wonder Arteta was delighted.
“The mentality is good,” Arteta said. “I mentioned it to you, to play with that level of enjoyment about where we are and then with the conviction to believe in what we do, how good we are and that we can beat any opponent.
“We certainly did that. And then you have to show the quality to do it in this league to prove it and it came out in great ways from different ways as well.”
1:25
Arteta hails Madueke for performance after Saka’s warmup injury
Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Leeds United, and the performance of Noni Madueke, a late addition to the starting lineup.
The first hour was the most fiercely contested part of this game, and during that period, Arsenal’s physical power and dead-ball prowess made the difference. Noni Madueke only started this game because Bukayo Saka suffered a hip injury in the warmup, but he was their most effective threat.
His 27th-minute corner was cleared, but Arsenal worked the ball back out to the England international, who produced a superb delivery which Martín Zubimendi glanced into the net.
The noise in this famous old ground rarely subsided in the opening 45 minutes, but there was an audible hush whenever Arsenal won a corner. Perhaps they knew what was coming.
The Gunners’ seventh corner of the half was whipped into the near post with such ferocity by Madueke that Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could only rise above the gaggle of players in front of him and punch the ball into his own net.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke made a double change at the break and they began to enjoy more of the ball, but Ødegaard was excellent when he came on alongside Gabriel Martinelli after 61 minutes. His cute pass released Martinelli, who found a cross for Gyökeres to steer home on 69 minutes, snuffing out any hope of a Leeds comeback.
Jesus added a fourth four minutes from time, collecting Ødegaard’s pass and expertly working space for himself in the box before finishing low into the net.
Leeds ended with just three shots and an expected goals tally of 0.15 — the third-lowest figure of any team Arsenal have played across all competitions this season.
This defensive resilience was the foundation of their ascent to the top of the table in the first place and it returned emphatically here.
“[That control] is something that we want,” Arteta said. “You always have an opponent in front of you who is going to test that and you have to execute the actions and be very, very consistent if you don’t want to concede anything. Really impressive because it is a really tough team to do that and between all of us, we did it.”
Farke could not argue: “They were on it from the first to the last second. Whatever we did, they always had an answer. We were not really able to create chances.”
Arsenal’s attacking cohesion remains unconvincing. “Own goal” briefly drew level as their top scorer in the league this season before Gyökeres’ intervention put him clear on six. After wasting a glorious chance when clean through at 2-0, he continues to face a battle to justify his €63.5 million fee, but his goal will help.
Collectively, Arsenal recovered their power and poise to reassert themselves in the title race with Manchester City facing Tottenham and Aston Villa hosting Brentford on Sunday.
Arteta talked about “bringing the temperature down” in his meeting with the players Monday. But nothing will have done it like winning so emphatically as this, especially as they reinforced their own identity while doing so.
Over to you, City.
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