PAK vs BAN Ball by Ball Commentary

Pakistan have made it to the final of the Asia Cup 2025. It will be the first time that India and Pakistan will meet in a final of the Asia Cup. On the fuller side and outside off, Rishad gets across and swings wildly but misses. Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs, and they have defended a low total of just 135.

A full toss, around middle, Rishad goes back and tries to heave it but mistimes it off the upper half of the bat. The ball lands in the vacant region between mid on and mid off. They don't run. The players of Pakistan start to celebrate.

SIX! THUMPED! Oh, wow! Another slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rishad Hossain uses his feet, picks the change of pace, and clubs it over long on for a biggie. Bangladesh are still fighting and they need two more sixes in the final two balls.

A swing and a miss! On a length and around off, with pace off, Rishad goes deep in his crease and swings hard but misses.

FOUR! MUSCLED! Full and around off, Rishad Hossain clears his front leg away and drills it to the right of mid off for a boundary.

Bye! Back of a length, angling in, around off, Fizz backs away and looks to defend it but gets beaten past the outside edge. The keeper moves to his right but fails to grab it cleanly. Parries it towards short fine and concedes a bye.

Another superb slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rishad throws his hands at it and looks to slog it but misses. Bangladesh need 23 runs in the last over.

DROPPED! On a length and around off, with pace off, Mustafizur Rahman clears his front leg and looks to heave it but gets it off the toe end of the bat and it goes towards long on, where Mohammad Nawaz moves forward and drops a sitter. A single taken. The skipper, Salman Agha, can't believe it and looks unhappy.

FOUR! On a length and outside off, Mustafizur Rahman goes deep in his crease and looks to loft it over covers. But gets it off the outer half of the bat and the ball flies over backward point for a boundary.

Wide outside off, on a length, Rishad gets across and drags it to long on. Takes a single this time. Bangladesh need 28 off 9 balls.

Nagging length and outside off, Rishad swats it uppishly but in the gap towards long off but refuses the single.

EDGED AND FOUR! Full and wide outside off, Rishad Hossain gets across deep in his crease and tries to heave it. Gets an outside edge that flies over the keeper behind the wickets and races away to the deep third fence for a boundary.

On a hard length and outside off, dabbed down towards cover point for a single. Bangladesh need 33 in the final two overs.

From around the wicket, full and around middle, Rahman goes deep in his crease and looks to defend it but gets an outside edge that rolls away towards cover point for a single.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Bangladesh are nine down and Pakistan are just one away from a big victory and making it to the final of the Asia Cup 2025. On a length and around middle, with pace on this time. Taskin Ahmed backs away and extends his arms to reach out, but misses. The ball sneaks under the blade and rattles the middle stump.

EDGED AND FOUR! On a length and around middle, and it seems to be another change of pace delivery. Taskin Ahmed remains leg side of the ball and tries to pull it but gets a top edge that flies over the keeper behind the wickets for a boundary.

OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Haris Rauf has bagged his second, and this is an inspiring effort while struggling with cramps. He bowls a slower delivery, on a hard length and keeps the line around the off stump. Tanzim Hasan Sakib backs away a touch, gets down on one knee, and throws his hands at it to drag it. But gets deceived by the lack of pace on it. The ball beats the outside edge of the bat and crashes into the top of the off stump.

Short of a length and outside off, Tanzim Hasan Sakib presses back and tries to pull it, but the ball gets big on him. He misses his shot. Oh, Haris Rauf is down on the ground. The physio is out to have a check on him.

Goes for a yorker, but ends up serving a low full toss, around off, Rishad drills it back to the bowler.

OUT! TAKEN! The last recognised batter, Shamim Hossain, is gone for 30 (25), and again, it is that man, Shaheen Afridi, who has delivered for Pakistan. The road is much tougher for Bangladesh. A slower ball, on a back of a length and outside off, Shamim changes his stance and grip and tries to reverse-scoop it. But gets deceived by the lack of pace on it and plays his shot a bit early. Ends up lobbing it off the toe end of the bat, and the ball goes towards backward point, where Hussain Talat takes this dipping catch around his knee. Bangladesh are 97/7, needing 39 runs more.

Much fuller and almost a yorker, around middle, Tanzim Hasan Sakib drills it to long on for one.

Leg bye! Full but down leg, following the batter, Shamim Hossain backs away and tries to flick it but misses. The ball hits the front pad and gets deflected towards cover point. A leg bye is sneaked.

A yorker, around middle, jammed down to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! CRUNCHED! On a length and wide outside off, Tanzim Hasan Sakib crouches and whacks it to beat the flying extra cover fielder to his left for a cracking boundary.

Five singles off the over! Short and around middle, Tanzim Hasan Sakib presses back and uses his wrists to work it away through the gap at mid-wicket for a single. Bangladesh need 46 runs in the last 24 balls.

Dragged length and outside off, Shamim lets the ball arrive and taps it beside the pitch on the off side with soft hands to take a quick single.

Nagging length and around off, knocked down to wide long on for a single by Tanzim.

Short, turns away, outside off, Shamim goes back and adjusts his shot to push it down towards extra cover for a quick single.

Tossed it up and around middle, Tanzim Hasan Sakib gets across and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for one. He wants another but is sent back by his partner.

Slower and shorter, outside off, THS goes back and punches it to cover.

Pushed through, quicker and shorter, on off, Shamim Hossain stays back to defend.

SIX! Fine strike! A bit too full from Abrar, on middle. Shamim is able to transfer the weight on the front foot and with his strong wrists, he clubs it over deep mid-wicket for a six.

Short and on off, Tanzim Hasan Sakib works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Floated up, on middle, on a length, swept through square leg for a single.

Fuller and slower, on middle, Hossain lunges and lofts it back over the bowler's head. Shaheen Afridi gets around from long and slides to his left to push the ball away from the fence. Saves two runs for his side.

Dropped short by Ahmed, outside off, Shamim backs away and cuts it wide of deep point for a brace.

On a nagging length, on off, Tanzim dabs it down in front of point.

OUT! CAUGHT! Rinse and repeat of the Nurul Hasan dismissal! Jaker shows his cards early as he backs away to go through the off side. Saim spots it and serves the carrom ball, full and outside off. Ali reaches out and ends up slicing it in the air in front of long off as the bottom hand comes off the bat handle. Mohammad Nawaz runs in off the ropes and takes the catch close to his chest. A big blow to Bangladesh as the skipper departs.

Oh, that could have gone anywhere! Speared in by Ayub from around the wicket, short and on middle, Shamim goes on the back foot to jab it away on the leg side. Gets a leading edge that lobs and drops away from over to his right. They cross.

Short and angled into the pads, helped away down to deep fine leg for one.

Sliding on with the arm, shorter and on middle, Shamim taps it from the crease to long on and crosses over.

At 84.9 kph, Saim offers flight, full and on middle. Shamim backs away and collapses his back knee to go inside out over. Does not quite get hold of it but manages to clear cover and collects a couple of runs.

A big swing and a miss! Slower through the air, outside off, on a nagging length. Jaker has a swipe across the line and gets beaten on the inside edge. Tidy stuff from Nawaz. Just 4 runs off the over. Bangladesh need 68 runs in 42 balls.

Short and darted into the left-hander, Shamim punches it off the back foot to long on for a single.

Tossed it up and around middle, Jaker backs away and punches it through covers for one.

Nagging length and around middle, Jaker backs away and dabs it back to the bowler.

Sliding down leg, Jaker backs away and nudges it to the left of deep fine for a couple of runs.

Slower and shorter, around off, Jaker Ali goes back and blocks it back to the bowler.

Gives the ball air, on off, Jaker strides forward and drops it with soft hands in front of cover for a quick single.

Floated up, on off, Jaker keeps it out on the off side.

OUT! CAUGHT! After two dot balls, Sunil Gavaskar on air said that the next delivery would be crucial, and right on cue, Nurul Hasan felt the need to release the pressure. However, he has perished in the attempt. Saim hangs it up there, above the batter's eyeline and keeps it away from the hitting arc. Nurul Hasan backs away initially but ends up giving himself too much room. He has to reach out as he looks to go inside out over extra cover. Ends up hitting it a lot straighter and straight down the throat of long off, where Mohammad Nawaz takes it around his neck.

Short and on middle, Nurul stabs it down on the leg side.

Loopy leg break, on middle, Nurul goes on the back foot and nudges it to the right of mid-wicket. Hasan is keen for a single but his partner sends him back.

Full and drifting onto the pads, swept away straight to deep backward square leg for a single.

Keeps it short, on off, Hossain dabs it to the right of cover-point and sneaks in a quick single. A good, accurate throw from the fielder, right over the stumps at the batting end, but Nurul is home by then.

Pushed through, short and on middle. Shamim waits back to work it away on the leg side. Gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Darted into the right-hander, on a nagging length, on middle. Nurul steps out and goes inside out over cover for a single.

Flat and short, on middle, Shamim Hossain steps out and nudges it to deep mid-wicket for one.

A massive shout for LBW but turned down! After a discussion with the keeper, Salman Agha takes the review. This turns back in sharply, on a length, on the off stump. Shamim presses forward but fails to get to the pitch of the ball to smother the spin. Gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball strikes him on the knee roll on the front pad. There is no bat involved but the stride that Shamim took has saved him. The Ball Tracking shows that the ball is hitting the leg stump but the impact is umpire's call. The on-field call is upheld.

Dropped short, on off, Nurul backs away and cuts it to deep point for a single.

Short and quick, outside off, Nurul rocks back and guides it to short third. Calls his partner for a quick single. Bangladesh are 58/4 at the halfway mark, needing 78 more in the last 10 overs.

Abrar keeps it shorter and around off, SH clips it to deep backward square leg for a single.

SIX! THUMPED! Full, in the slot, around middle, Shamim Hossain gets down, picks it up and deposits it over the deep square leg fence for a biggie.

Dragged back length and around off, Shamim waits and steers it to short third. Couldn't find the gap.

Short and around off, punched down to long on for a single.

Short and down leg, Nurul gets across and looks to flick it but misses. The keeper does well to move to his left and grab it behind the wickets. The umpire calls it a legal delivery, maybe because Nurul has shuffled.

Much shorter and around off, Shamim presses back and drops it down towards cover, who gets across to his left and cuts it off with a slide.

Short and around middle, Nurul shuffles a long way and nudges it in the gap towards deep square leg for one.

Leg bye! Flatter and shorter, around leg, Shamim tries to flick it but misses. The ball clips his front pad and rolls away to short fine. A leg bye is sneaked.

Slower and fuller, around off, Shamim Hossain changes his grip and gets down to play a reverse-sweep. Mistimes it but gets it in the gap over cover for two runs.

Full and around middle, pushed away to cover off the front foot.

In the air.... but just lands safe! Slower and fuller, around middle, Nurul Hasan gets across deep in his crease and tries to slog it across the line. But induces a top edge that flies towards mid on. Saim Ayub calls for the catch himself and runs over his right shoulder. But fails to reach there as the ball lands before him. A single taken.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mohammad Nawaz strikes when he finally gets to bowl after two matches, and Mahedi Hasan walks back for 11 (10). Nawaz bowls a drifter, full and around off, Mahedi backs away and tries to access the off side. He attempts a big lofted shot inside out over covers but mistimes it off the toe end of the bat. The ball travels flat towards sweeper cover, where Hussain Talat pouches it low around his waist. Bangladesh are 44/4 after 8 overs and they need 92 runs in the last 72 balls.

Floated up, outside off, Nurul uses his feet but has to adjust his shot. Ends up getting a thickish outside edge that goes to short third. A single taken.

Short and around middle, knocked down to long on for a single more.

Tossed it up and around off, Mahedi Hasan gets across, crouches a bit and scoops it. Though he mistimes it but gets enough to clear the keeper behind the wickets. The short third fielder chases it down to his left but the batters take two runs.

Slower and shorter, around middle, Nurul backs away and punches it through covers for one.

Nawaz drags his length back after seeing the batter coming down the track and keeps the line outside off. Mahedi adjusts well on his back foot to knock it down to long on for one.

Just 2 off the over. Short and outside off, Hasan gets across deep in his crease and gets squared up as he defends it awkwardly. Surely, he isn't looking at his best.

Quicker, fuller and outside off, Mahedi sits down nicely and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for one.

Flatter and shorter, around middle, Hasan clips it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Nagging length and outside off, dabbed down to backward point off the back foot.

Now, Abrar dishes a googly, short and turns back in, around middle, Nurul gets across again for a slog sweep but he has to adjust and gets into some awkward position. Gets it off his gloves and the ball rolls down beside the strip on the leg side.

A leg break, full and outside off, Nurul gets across and taps it towards cover. He wanted a quick single but was sent back.

Back of a length and a bit outside off, Mahedi rides the bounce and dabs it down but finds the backward point fielder. Bangladesh end their Powerplay with a score of 36/3, needing another 100 in the last 14 overs.

Short of a good length and around off, Hasan gets hurried by the pace and mistimes his pull to deep fine for a single.

Huge appeal for caught down the leg side, but the umpire shakes his head! On a back of a length and around leg, Nurul tries to pick it up but misses. The ball grazes his back thigh pad and the keeper grabs it to his left behind the wickets.

Woah! An ambitious attempt from Nurul! On a hard length and outside off, Nurul Hasan switches his stance and tries to reverse paddle it but misses.

EDGED AND SIX! A bit fuller and around off, skidding through, Nurul Hasan gets down and tries to swipe it across the line but ekes out a top edge that flies behind the wickets over deep third for a biggie.

OUT! TAKEN! Pakistan are on top and Bangladesh are crumbling under pressure. Haris Rauf picks up his first wicket. On a length, from wide of the crease to create an inward angle, around middle and off. Saif Hassan comes forward and looks to flick it. But the ball straightens a bit and Saif closes his bat face a bit early. Gets a leading edge that flies towards backward point where Saim Ayub snaffles it to his left. Pakistan are pumped up and the in-form batter Saif, who has scored two back-to-back fifties, is gone for 18 (15).

Serves it on a length, on off. Hasan blocks it out watchfully.

On a back of a length, on off, stabbed down on the off side.

SIX! Up and away! Afridi goes short but the line is a bit too straight, around leg. Mahedi gets inside the line and helps the ball away over long leg for a six.

On a hard length, on off. Mahedi stands tall and defends.

OUT! CAUGHT! GONE NEXT BALL! Shaheen Afridi strikes again in the Powerplay! Full and pushed across the right-hander, Tawhid sets up deep in the crease and has a wild swipe across the line. Gets a top edge that goes straight up behind backward point. Saim Ayub calls for it and runs over his left shoulder. Ayub settles under it and takes a good catch.

RUN OUT CHANCE MISSED! Absolute chaos! On a hard length, on off, Tawhid rides the bounce and taps the ball on its head. Glides it to backward point where Saim Ayub flings himself to his left and cuts it off. Gets rid of the ball quickly and throws it toward the bowling end. Afridi is unable to get up to the stumps quick enough after completing his follow-through and none of the fielders can reach the stumps in time to collect the throw. Saif is almost at the batting end beside Hridoy but survives as the throw rolls past the stumps and dribbles towards mid on. That allows Saif to return to the bowling end.

A loud shout for caught behind but turned down! Mohammad Haris and Haris Rauf are convinced, and Salman Agha takes the review. This nips away a bit off the deck, on a back of a length. Saif is squared up due to the seam movement and gets beaten on the outside edge as he looks to defend. The front-on replays suggest that the ball has missed the bat, and the UltraEdge confirms the same. Pakistan burn a review.

FOUR! Not in complete control, but the pace of Haris Rauf works in favour of Saif Hassan! On a back of a length, just outside the off pole. Not wide enough, but Saif jabs at the ball with hard hands. Gets more of a thickish outside edge, and it flies well away from backward point to his left and beats the fielder in the deep to his right.

Honing in on the off stump, 145.9 kph, on a back of a length. Hassan rides the bounce and blocks it out.

Better from Rauf! Attacking the stumps and going by the gesture Hassan made after the shot, it looked like a leg-cutter. On a good length and Saif defends.

SIX! Effortlessly done! Haris errs in line, 144.9 kph, on the pads. Saif just picks it up off the pads nonchalantly and deposits it over deep backward square leg for a six.

Rauf starts with a good length delivery, outside off. There is a bit of away movement off the deck and Saif dabs it off the back foot to cover-point.

Pulls the length back, at 135.3 kph, outside off. Tawhid Hridoy stays back and uses the pace by steering it to the left of backward point. Collects a couple of runs as the deep third fielder cuts it off.

Slightly fuller, on middle, Tawhid drives it to mid on.

Lands it on a length, on off, Hridoy punches it down the deck. Shaheen reaches out and gets a hand on it. The ball gets parried towards mid off and Saif sets off for the run before being sent back by his partner.

This kicks up a bit as it leaves the right-hander, on a good length. Tawhid Hridoy pokes at the delivery and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Fuller in length, on middle, Tawhid Hridoy pushes it back to the bowler.

Shaheen goes full and around off, Hridoy presses forward and just carreses it to the right of the diving cover fielder for a couple of runs. Fakhar Zaman gives it a chase from extra cover and mops it up.

Fuller in length, outside off, Saif guides it with an open bat face to backward point.

SIX! Clean strike! Not a bad ball at all from Faheem. This is on a nagging length, around off. Hassan just trusts the bounce of the surface and swings through the line. Clobbers it over long on for a six.

Direct hit! Saif Hassan looks safe but the umpires want to be sure. Faheem hits the deck hard, on off. Hassan drops it down with soft hands beside the strip on the off side. Saif wants to sneak in a quick single but his partner sends him back. Ashraf gets to the ball quickly and gets low to pick the ball up. He is quick to flick the ball onto the stumps at the batting end but Hassan is home by then.

Just outside the off stump at 136 kph, on a good length. Tawhid chops it down to the left of backward point for a single to get off the mark.

Angled into the pads, on a good length, Saif works it behind square on the leg side for a single.

Pitched up by Faheem, on off, Saif knocks it with a straight bat to mid off.

An optimistic shout for caught behind from Shaheen Afridi but there was daylight between the bat and ball. Going across the right-hander, on a back of a length. Tawhid has a feel for the delivery before he withdraws the bat. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Shaheen Afridi provides Pakistan with an early success! 22nd time in T20Is that Shaheen has struck in the first over of the game. Afridi goes into the surface, angled into the left-hander, on middle, Parvez hops and lifts his front leg to shovel it behind square on the leg side. There is a bit of extra bounce and a top edge is induced. It gets skied towards deep backward square leg. Mohammad Nawaz moves to his left to settle under the skier and slides at the end to take a safe catch. A two-ball duck for Emon.

In the channel on off, on the shorter side, a hint of away movement. Parvez Hossain Emon ends up defending inside the line as he expects the ball to angle into him. The ball whistles past the outside edge.

Oh, that could have gone back onto the stumps! Pushed across the right-hander at 132.5 kph, on a good length. Saif hangs his bat out away from his body with no real conviction. Gets an inside edge and the ball rolls in front of short fine leg for a single.

Not a lot of movement through the air for Shaheen. On a back of a length, on middle. Saif waits back and taps it down the deck.

Shaheen hits the bat hard! This is on a good length, a bit of inward shape, on middle. Saif Hassan is watchful in defence.