'Will be aggressive': Pakistan captain Salman Agha fires bold warning to India ahead of Asia Cup final

NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Salman Agha has fired a strong warning to Team India ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. This will be the first-ever India-Pakistan final in Asia Cup history, and Agha has made it clear that Pakistan will approach the match with an aggressive mindset.Agha added that he will give his players a free hand in the final and fully back their decisions, sending a bold message to the Indian side ahead of the title clash."Will continue to be aggressive. I will give free hand to team for final, and will back players," Agha said during the pre-match press conference.India and Pakistan will clash in a high-stakes Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday, their first-ever title meeting in the tournament’s history. The buildup has been charged, with political tensions spilling onto the field: post-match handshakes were skipped, and celebrations drew controversy during earlier encounters. India, the defending champions and unbeaten in the tournament, remain firm favourites. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has led confidently, with opener Abhishek Sharma in top form and spinner Kuldeep Yadav dominating the wickets tally. Fielding, however, has been a weak link, with 12 dropped catches blamed on the glare of Dubai’s “ring of fire” floodlights. Pakistan, two-time champions, enter the final after a narrow win over Bangladesh but remain vulnerable with the bat. They will depend heavily on pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, alongside spinners Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz, to challenge India’s power-packed lineup.