Pakistan cricket fans and former players have criticised fast bowler Haris Rauf after India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Chasing a target of 147 runs, India reached the total in the last over to secure their ninth Asia Cup title.
Haris Rauf Asia Cup 2025 Last Over Performance
Haris Rauf conceded 50 runs in 3.4 overs, including 26 runs in the last two overs, while bowling only two dot balls. In the Asia Cup 2025 last over, he was hit for boundaries when India needed just 10 runs to win. Tilak Varma scored eight runs from the first two balls to seal the match. Fans questioned why team management trusted Rauf with the final over despite other bowling options.
Social media in Pakistan flooded with memes and comments criticising the decision to give Haris Rauf the final over. Fans questioned the tactics and called it a major reason behind the Asia Cup 2025 defeat. Many users highlighted that more experienced bowlers could have been given the responsibility in such a crucial moment.
Singer Ali Zafar wrote on social media that he did not understand why Haris Rauf was given the last over in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Former fast bowler Wasim Akram called Rauf a “run machine” against India and said conceding 50 runs in 3.4 overs was unacceptable in a tournament final. Akram also criticised the team’s leadership for poor decision-making under pressure.
Haris Rauf was criticized earlier during the tournament over a fighter jet celebration move following a wicket he took against India. Bowler Jasprit Bumrah of India reacted with a plane crash sign in the final, which further fuelled the rivalry as well as the controversy surrounding the performance of Rauf in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Asia Cup 2025 last over has provoked a broader discussion regarding the bowling policy of Pakistan under high-pressure matches. Fans and analysts still debate whether the decision was the correct one on the part of the team management who used Haris Rauf to give the final over at a moment when the match was under much pressure.
