Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif has praised Team India for staying cool under pressure during their thrilling win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final. He says the Men in Green just couldn’t recover after India’s strong bowling spell turned the game in their favor.
The high-stakes clash between the arch-rivals took place at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Suryakumar Yadav’s side clinched the title, marking a record ninth Asia Cup victory for India and leaving Pakistan fans disappointed.
Latif pointed to the Indian spinners—Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy—as the game-changers. “It wasn’t that Pakistan bowled well; India simply didn’t bat great. Their captain failed to ramp up the pressure,” Latif told . “But when those spinners grabbed wickets in the 15th to 17th overs of Pakistan’s innings, the game slipped away from us. India’s smarts on the field and how they handled the moment were spot on.”
He recalled a key moment when Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed got rid of Sanju Samson, hinting at a possible turnaround. But then, bringing in Haris Rauf to bowl proved costly. “Haris leaked 17 runs in that over—that was a big mistake by Pakistan,” Latif added.
The 56-year-old didn’t hold back on Haris Rauf, calling the fast bowler “too predictable” in his approach. While he gave a nod to Shaheen Afridi for doing well, Latif stressed that Rauf needs to change his game to thrive in white-ball cricket like ODIs and T20Is.
“Shaheen was solid, but Haris’s big issue is he doesn’t bowl with the new ball enough,” Latif said. “The coaching staff has only trained him with the old ball. If he wants to last in international cricket, he must practice swinging the new one and adapt his style.”
Latif’s comments highlight the fine margins in India vs Pakistan matches, where strategy and adaptability often decide the winner.
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