**Indian Political Analyst Tehseen Poonawalla Criticizes India-Pakistan Asia Cup Final Amid Political Tensions**
Indian political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla has expressed strong criticism of India playing against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup 2025, held in Dubai on Sunday, September 28. In a series of tweets, Poonawalla voiced his disapproval of India engaging in a high-profile cricket match with Pakistan amid ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
He termed the match an “Aman Ki Asha Tamasha,” a reference to past peace initiatives aimed at fostering goodwill between India and Pakistan. Poonawalla also used harsh language, labeling the Pakistan cricket team as “filth.” His remarks appeared to allude to previous terrorist incidents and current national security concerns, suggesting that sporting ties with Pakistan undermine India’s firm stance on issues such as cross-border terrorism.
Furthering his argument, Poonawalla stated that India should have withdrawn from the final altogether, regardless of the sporting stakes involved.
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**India Clinches Asia Cup in a Thrilling Last-Over Finish**
Despite the controversy off the field, the cricket match itself was a high-voltage thriller. India emerged victorious by 5 wickets, thanks to Tilak Verma’s unbeaten 69 runs. Chasing a modest target of 146 runs, India found themselves under pressure early on as their top three batters—Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill—were dismissed inside the first 20 overs.
However, Tilak Verma steadied the innings with a crucial 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket, followed by a 60-run stand with Rinku Singh Dube for the fifth wicket. In a nail-biting finish, Verma smashed a six off Haris Rauf in the final over to secure the win, keeping Indian fans on the edge of their seats.
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**Pakistan’s Batting Performance and Bowling Highlights**
Pakistan batted first, with openers Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan taking an aggressive approach against the Indian bowlers from the very first over. Farhan reached his fifty in just 35 deliveries but notably refrained from performing his usual gun-shot celebration after being reprimanded by the ICC.
Despite Farhan’s dismissal in the 10th over for 57 runs, Pakistan seemed poised for a competitive total. However, following Saim Ayub’s fall for 14 in the 13th over, the innings quickly unravelled. Pakistan lost their last nine wickets for just 33 runs, with the batsmen playing reckless shots as the pressure mounted. Only Farhan (69), Fakhar Zaman (46), and Saim Ayub (14) reached double figures.
On the bowling front, India’s Kuldeep Yadav was the standout performer, finishing with impressive figures of 4 overs, 30 runs, and 4 wickets.
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The Asia Cup 2025 final was not only a thrilling sporting spectacle but also sparked political debate, highlighting the complex relationship between India and Pakistan both on and off the cricket field.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/india-vs-pakistan-tamasha-tehseen-poonawala-calls-asia-cup-2025-final-fued-up-show-despite-indias-win
