FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers: Iran edge past India to qualify for tournament finals

India had a tough time on both sides of the court.

The Indian men’s basketball team suffered a heavy 106-55 defeat against Iran in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers Group E clash at the Azadi Basketball Hall in Tehran on Friday night as despite a spirited start, India struggled to keep pace with the three-time Asia Cup champions, who put on a second-quarter masterclass to seal their ticket to Jeddah.

Here’s the match report with all the relevant talking points:  

The Indian men's #basketball team go down against Iran!! 🇮🇳🏀Iran 🇮🇷 thrashed India by a big margin of 106-55 in the #FIBAAsiaCup 2025 Qualifiers #IndianBasketball pic.twitter.com/715PpsDISe

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) February 21, 2025

A bright beginning that faded

India, ranked 78th, came into the match feeling confident after their big win over Kazakhstan last November. They faced Iran, the top-ranked team in the group at No. 28. India started strongly with a 9-5 lead in the first four minutes.

But their early edge didn’t last long as Iran found their groove and took charge of the game. The home team won the first quarter 18-15. The game changed in the second period when the hosts ramped up their defense. They shut down India’s offense and went on a hot 28-5 streak.

Mohammad Amini led the attack scoring 11 points in that quarter alone which was more than India’s entire team. By halftime, Iran had stretched their lead to 46-20 leaving India with a tough job ahead.

Also Read: FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers: Schedule, fixtures, results, India squad, live streaming details

India’s offensive struggles and defensive crises

Indian men’s basketball team had a tough time on both sides of the court. On defense, the team had trouble keeping the ball giving and committed 29 turnovers. This let Iran score easy points on the break. India could not handle the pressure and kept making wrong choices with the ball throughout the game.

Offensively, only Amritpal Singh managed to reach double digits, scoring 18 points in an otherwise cold shooting night for the team. Pranav Prince contributed nine, but the lack of scoring depth proved costly. India couldn’t hit from outside and had no answer for Iran’s defense leading to long stretches without points.

Amini’s historic night leads Iran to victory

Iran showed, that if the first half was a warning, they made a statement in the second half. Team Melli showed no signs of slowing down, piling on 60 more points as they dismantled India’s defense with clinical execution.

The 19-year-old sensation Mohammad Amini delivered a historic performance, finishing with a game-high 33 points. Shooting beautifully from the field, he ended it hitting 14 of his 15 attempts, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the arc.

This record performance by Amini, was the most field goal made in an Asia Cup Qualifiers match, eclipsing both Ahmed Haji and Brian Halums and Freddie Lish’s previous record.

He matched Karim Zeinoun’s record for most three-pointer opportunities while remaining perfect in execution. With nothing on their minds except winning, Iran scored 18 points – only from Aghajanpur’s three-pointers – to cap another memorable victory.

Veteran Arsalan Kazemi completed all-around work with five points, 10 rebounds, and two steals, while Hasan Aliakbari contributed 10 points. Then started as often before the toast called and Iran qualified for the Asia Cup for the 10th consecutive time and 19th overall.

India’s merit hangs in the balance

India’s final second-round game against Qatar in Doha on February 24 is now a must-win clash and a victory could keep their qualification hopes alive, but a loss would likely see them fight for a last-chance entry in the final qualifying tournament.

Indian Cagers, who are sitting third in Group E with six points, have their fate still undecided with Iran qualifying and them fighting for the second spot with Qatar. Just the top two teams from each group qualify directly for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, while the third-placed teams compete in an additional qualification event for the remaining four spots.

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