Sun Sep 07 14:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan to Bat First in T20I Tri-Series Final Against Afghanistan
**Dubai, UAE -** Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the final of the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025 being held in Dubai. The two teams previously met in the league stage, splitting the results.
While Pakistan won their first encounter, Afghanistan showed considerable improvement throughout the tournament, dominating their second match against Pakistan with both bat and ball.
Toss advantage has been a significant factor in the series, with the team batting first holding a considerable advantage as the pitch tends to deteriorate as the evening progresses.
**Playing XIs:**
* **Afghanistan:** Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
* **Pakistan:** Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which has undergone changes in pitch preparation, is expected to offer more pace and carry than in previous years due to the presence of grass cover.
**Other News:** Concerns were raised regarding the Indian cricket team’s challenges in the UAE due to the Dubai’s heat during peak summer.
First Piper 