India stormed into the Asia Cup 2025 final with a commanding 41-run win over Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, September 24. The victory not only ensured their place in Sunday’s title clash but also eliminated defending champions Sri Lanka from the tournament. While India’s clinical performance on the field earned praise, it was head coach Gautam Gambhir’s viral three-word post — “Into the finals” — that became the talk of social media.

Gambhir’s War Cry: “Into the Finals”

Shortly after the win, Gambhir posted four pictures from the India-Bangladesh clash on X (formerly Twitter), along with a three-word message: “Into the finals.” The post spread like wildfire, with fans flooding the comments section to celebrate India’s entry into yet another Asia Cup final. The tweet symbolized India’s dominance in the tournament and added fuel to the growing excitement around a possible India-Pakistan final.

Into the finals! pic.twitter.com/5XGQ6Srook— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 24, 2025

Abhishek Sharma Steals the Show

The star of the evening was once again Abhishek Sharma, who played a blistering innings of 75 runs off just 37 balls. His knock, laced with six sixes and five fours, laid the foundation for India’s total of 168/6.

Abhishek spoke humbly after his match-winning performance: “I was just doing my job. I have told before as well that I do not think much (while going in to bat) and go with the flow. If it is in my range, even if it is the first ball, I go for it.”

Opening with Shubman Gill, who contributed 29, Abhishek went on the offensive against Bangladesh’s spinners. The duo tore into Nasum Ahmed’s bowling, smashing 21 runs off the fourth over. Abhishek brought up his half-century in just 25 balls, continuing his remarkable run in T20 internationals — now with 783 runs from 22 matches at a staggering strike rate of 197.72.

However, India’s momentum faltered after Gill was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. Shivam Dube, promoted up the order, managed only 2 runs before falling. Abhishek himself was run out due to a mix-up with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who later scored a struggling 5 off 11 balls. Sanju Samson, curiously, did not get a chance to bat, raising eyebrows about the team’s batting order experiments.

Despite the hiccups, Hardik Pandya’s 38 off 29 balls steadied the innings, ensuring India reached a competitive total of 168/6.

Against Bangladesh, his innings once again showed why he is regarded as one of the most explosive young talents in world cricket.

Bowling Brilliance: Bumrah and Kuldeep Shine

Defending 169, India’s bowlers were relentless. Jasprit Bumrah struck early, removing Tanzid Hasan in the second over. Bangladesh’s hopes briefly rested on Saif Hassan (69) and Parvez Hossain Emon (21), who added 42 runs together. But once Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Emon, the collapse began.

Kuldeep was at his magical best, claiming 3 wickets for 18 runs. His tally now stands at 12 wickets in five matches this tournament, making him the highest wicket-taker for India in Asia Cup history (ODIs + T20Is). With 31 wickets across 16 matches, he surpassed Ravindra Jadeja’s previous record of 29 dismissals in 26 matches.

Saif Hassan fought valiantly despite surviving four dropped catches but was eventually dismissed for 69 by Bumrah. Bangladesh were bundled out for 127 in 19.3 overs. Varun Chakravarthy also chipped in with two crucial wickets.

Bangladesh’s Struggles Continue

Bangladesh entered the contest without their regular skipper Litton Das, who was sidelined due to injury. Stand-in captain Jaker Ali admitted that while the result was disappointing, there were positives to take forward.

“We can take lots of things from this game. Let’s see what kind of combination we are going to go (in Thursday’s match) but we will give our best.”

The loss ended Sri Lanka’s hopes in the tournament, confirming India’s place in the final. Bangladesh will now face Pakistan in a do-or-die clash on Thursday to determine the second finalist.

Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s Points Table

With India already qualified, Pakistan and Bangladesh’s clash will decide who faces the Men in Blue in Sunday’s final.

Will India clash with Pakistan in the Finals?

An India-Pakistan Asia Cup final has never taken place before, but the 2025 edition could witness history. Interestingly, India have already defeated Pakistan twice in this tournament — by 7 wickets in the group stage (September 14) and by 6 wickets in the Super Four stage (September 21). If Pakistan win against Bangladesh, fans could witness one of the most anticipated finals in recent cricket history.

Sunil Gavaskar’s Stern Warning on Team Experiments

Despite India’s win, there has been criticism regarding the team’s frequent changes in batting order. Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar expressed concern over India’s approach. He felt that excessive tinkering, especially ahead of a crucial final, could hurt the team.

“Cricket is not for fun and games (Cricket se masti nahi). The way the batting order was shuffled — it shouldn’t have been done. 168 runs were not enough, and while Bangladesh couldn’t chase it, a bigger team could have made it a problem.” Gavaskar told AajTak.

He particularly questioned the decision to send Shivam Dube at No. 3 and the unclear role given to Sanju Samson.

“You took Sanju Samson away from opening and made him the wicketkeeper, then gave him the role of batting at No. 5 or as a finisher. Shivam Dube, who is usually at No. 6 or 7 to come in and score 20–25 runs off 10 balls — that’s his role. But you sent him at No. 3, and he couldn’t adjust and got out. So in my opinion, you shouldn’t experiment too much.”

Road Ahead for India

India will play their final Super Four match against Sri Lanka on Friday, September 26, before heading into the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, September 28, at the Dubai International Stadium. Their opponent will be decided in Thursday’s clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

With Abhishek Sharma in sublime form, Kuldeep Yadav scripting history, and Gambhir’s rallying cry already uniting fans, India head into the final as the undisputed favorites. Yet, as Sunil Gavaskar cautioned, avoiding risky experiments could be the key to lifting another Asia Cup trophy.

For now, Gambhir’s three words — “Into the finals” — echo the mood of the Indian camp and millions of fans worldwide who are hoping for another Asia Cup triumph.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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