Fans of the Indian cricket team performed a hawan (sacred fire ritual) in Lucknow ahead of their Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan. The two sides are scheduled to face each other in the sixth game of the multi-nation tournament later today (Sunday, September 14) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.The Men in Blue began their campaign in style, defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by nine wickets while chasing 58, with 93 balls to spare. Meanwhile, Pakistan won their tournament opener against Oman by 93 runs.With both teams set to meet in a highly anticipated encounter, Indian fans conducted the hawan and pooja to seek divine blessings for their team.Watch the video here (via ANI):Suryakumar Yadav's side boasts a phenomenal T20I record over their arch-rivals, having won nine of the 13 games, while the Men in Green have claimed three victories and one match ended in a tie. Additionally, the Men in Blue hold the upper hand in recent clashes, leading 3-2 in their last five meetings.“India do start as favourites” - Assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate makes bold statement ahead of the game against PakistanIndia assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate spoke at a press conference on Saturday, September 13, stating that the Men in Blue will start as favourites in their Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan. He said:“Yeah, I mean, that short-term record is pretty incredible, and we've been very consistent in how we've played. Obviously, cricket at this level is about how you execute on the day. But yeah, being totally honest and looking at the recent form and how the teams have played, I would say India do start as favourites tomorrow.”“But we'll be focused on the 120 balls with the bat and 120 balls with the ball, and the team that is more consistent over those 240 balls will be better. So we're under no illusion as to the task ahead, and a big part of what we're trying to do and looking forward to is staying grounded and just focusing on getting better, with the individuals getting better every day. So form counts for very little when you come to competitions, regional competitions like this,” he added.Since the start of 2024, the Men in Blue have played 32 T20Is, winning 29 and losing only three.