Asia Cup 2022: 3 reasons why the next India vs Pakistan match is a build-up to the final

India and Pakistan locked horns last Sunday (August 28) in their first match of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. The Men in Blue defeated their arch-rivals by five wickets in Dubai. Rohit Sharma and Co. then beat Hong Kong by 40 runs on Wednesday (August 31) to book their spot in the Super 4 stage.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will hope to bounce back against Hong Kong after losing their campaign opener. It will be a virtual knockout clash, with the winner joining India in the Super 4 stage from Group A.

Considering that Pakistan will beat minnows Hong Kong on Friday, September 2, they will meet India once again on Sunday, September 4.

There is also a high chance of both India and Pakistan progressing from the Super 4 stage to the final on September 11.

On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why the next India-Pakistan match could be the build-up to the final.

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#3 Two strongest teams in the competition

India and Pakistan are two of the strongest teams in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 as compared to the other two teams in the Super 4 stage - Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Both India and Pakistan have several quality players in their ranks capable of winning games single-handedly. The two Asian giants will start as favorites against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and are expected to butt heads in the final.

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#2 Pakistan's chance to make it even

Babar Azam and Co. didn't look like a well-settled unit when they met India last Sunday. Their batters failed to make significant contributions against India's well-drilled bowling attack.

The Pakistani bowlers kept their side in the contest with a couple of early wickets, but Hardik Pandya (33* off 17) and Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29) held their nerves to help India win the game by five wickets with two balls to spare.

Sunday will be the perfect opportunity for Pakistan to avenge the loss. If the Men in Green manage to beat India, they will be all but through to the final, considering Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will likely be easier opponents.

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#1 India looking for their eighth Asia Cup title

India will look to settle for nothing less than the Asia Cup title as they continue their preparations for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year.

After winning their first two games, Team India will be oozing with confidence ahead of the Super 4 stage. Rohit's side are the favorites to progress to the Asia Cup 2022 final.

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