Manama After Chinese Taipei and Guam sealed their tickets after going 1-2 in Group G, India showed calmness in the last game to defeat Bahrain 81-77 in Group H and guarantee their position in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 from the final qualifying process.

“With victories over Bahrain and Iraq, the Indian Cagers dominate Group H and guarantee their place in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.” Additionally, the Basketball Federation of India said on X that they have punched their ticket to the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers.

After giving away a 12-point lead and falling down by two with 1:54 remaining, India managed to salvage the crucial victory thanks to clutch efforts from Arvind Krishnan and Pranav Prince on both ends of the court.

In Group H of the last qualifying competition for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, this was India’s second consecutive win. In their previous Group H game on Friday, they had defeated Iraq 97-77.

The match between Bahrain and Iraq on Sunday night has turned into a simulated knockout for the 16th and last ticket to the main event, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5–17, after India’s victory.

Harsh Dagar helped India set the tone early in the victory with 28 points on a superb 6-of-8 clip from beyond the arc. He finished with an efficiency of 30 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

With 15 points, Kanwar Sandhu made an impression, while Prince and Hafeez concluded with equal stats of 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists between them.

India led 62-53 going into the fourth quarter, seemingly regaining complete control of the game, but Subah Azzam’s comeback allowed the host side to take a 77-75 advantage. However, with 1:39 left, Krishnan pulled up for a three-pointer from the left wing after utilizing a screen to give them the lead again, 78-77, according to FIBA.

Shortly after, the youthful floor general made a mistake, but he more than made up for it by stealing a vital possession from Wayne Chism before Hafeez split his foul throws to increase their advantage to a field goal.

When Prince rejected Mosti Rashed’s inbound pass meant for Mohammed Ameer, who got the last touch on the ball, he forced a turnover off a timeout.

With 11 seconds remaining, Krishnan took a flawless trip to the line to end the game and settle the final count, forcing Bahrain to foul in an effort to stop the clock and hope for misses.

“I’m very happy of our boys for coming in here and winning two games, even though it could have easily gone any way. We have already won three times in the Asia Cup Qualifiers, and these are new places that India hasn’t seen in a long time. They are the main focus. All I’m doing is putting them in a winning position, and they’ll handle the rest. We have more work to do. I’m really proud of these people. Scott Flemming, the head coach of India, said, “We’re heading to the Asia Cup.”