Pakistan, after facing defeat twice at the hands of arch-rival India, are once again set to face the Men in Blue in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 final after thumping Bangladesh in the Super Four stage.
The national side, led by captain Salman Ali Agha, has faced India twice so far in the tournament. First in the group stage, followed by another Super Four fixture, but have fallen short on both occasions, leaving the fans disheartened.
After the loss at the Super Four stage, fans were left questioning the prospects of the Men in Green’s qualification for the final.
With the national side somewhat struggling in the tournament, India have so far ensured a flawless performance.
The upcoming final between Pakistan and India holds significance in the wake of the ongoing handshake saga, where the Men in Blue have abstained from adhering to the customary handshake between captains at the toss and the post-match gesture in both matches.
Since then, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a complaint against the Indian captain with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over his political statements made during a post-match presser.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a formal complaint with the ICC against Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Fours clash in Dubai last Sunday.
All of this has only added to the already polarised environment. However, Pakistan cricket fans have taken it humourously and have flooded the internet with memes over Pakistan’s tumultuous road to the final.
An X user shared a scene from a Bollywood movie showing a person near a pool, only to be left perplexed by another person jumping into it — an analogy of India’s surprise at Pakistan reaching the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Meanwhile, another user shared a Simpsons meme showing the Indian team thinking they have eliminated the Green Shirts from the tournament, only to find themselves facing the Pakistan side again in the final.
Another fan shared a meme showcasing a character from the US sitcom “The Office” in a Pakistan team jersey having an emotional reaction on qualifying for the final.
“Finally, we’re into the final. Congratulations Pakistan,” wore JahanZaib.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans also jumped on the band wagon sharing a person dancing on Pakistan’s triumph against Bangladesh to book their spot in the final.
“Through to the final,” read the post’s caption.
A user name Abdullah, took a rather sarcastic take on Pakistan’s shaky journey in the tournament sharing a video of a vehicle crossing a ditch on two wooden logs.
“Its Pakistan vs India,” said another X user.
“This is how Pakistan team has made their way into the finals,” wrote Maham Gillani while sharing a video of a person tumbling his way across a busy road.
Muskan took a jibe at the apparent tensions between the two sides, both of whom are set to meet for the third time in the tournament in the final.
A user named ‘Maxi’, on the other hand, showed an edited picture of Pakistan captain Salman with the text “guess karo hum kahan hai” (guess where we are?) — jibe to Pakistan securing a spot in the Asia Cup final.
