Richard Mann previews Sunday's Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan, with a couple of big-priced selections in his staking plan.
Cricket betting tips: India v Pakistan
0.5pt Mohammad Nawaz top Pakistan batsman at 22/1 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Shaheen Afridi top Pakistan batsman at 66/1 (Betway, BetVictor, IBet)
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The Asia Cup comes to a climax on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm), when India and Pakistan lock horns in the final Dubai.
These two arch rivals have faced each other twice already in this tournament, both times on this ground, with India running out convincing winners on each occasion.
I find it hard to see anything other than another India win on Sunday, and if the surface in Dubai reverts to type after an unusually high-scoring match here on Friday, I think Pakistan’s batters in particular could be in for a tough day at the office.
In that first fixture played between the sides, Pakistan only managed 127-9 batting first, in the main because of a late cameo from Shaheen Afridi. They did post 171-5 in the second meeting, but India rarely looked in trouble in the run chase.
If batting first on Sunday, I could see Pakistan once again struggling to post a sizeable total, and will be monitoring the runs lines with interest.
For now, I want to have a stab at a couple in the top Pakistan batsman market.
I’ll kick off with MOHAMMAD NAWAZ who gives it a real whack and has been batting anywhere between number six and eight in the Pakistan batting order.
His last three scores have been 21, 38 not out and 25, all at a good lick, and he’s actually been one of Pakistan’s better batsmen in this competition.
I’ll chance him at 22/1, split stakes with the aforementioned SHAHEEN AFRIDI who is a proper blaster whose strike-rate at this tournament is 188.63.
As mentioned earlier, he smoked 33* from only 16 balls against India earlier in the competition and followed up with 29* against U.A.E when Pakistan were in a degree of trouble.
His reward was a promotion to number seven in Thursday’s win over Bangladesh, when he responded with 19 from 13.
He could well be in the thick of the action again, with the likelihood of Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of India’s outstanding bowling attack causing early damage.
A quick 30 could easily win this market, perhaps even twenty-plus, so I’m happy to roll the dice at 66/1.
Preview published at 0725 BST on 27/09/25
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