The India and Pakistan rivalry, which Suryakumar Yadav feels is no longer existent, has always had an undercurrent of animosity. Tempers flared as usual in the second meeting between the neighbors in the Asia Cup 2025, but India managed to not let the sparks affect their performance, beginning their Super 4s campaign with a six-wicket victory in Dubai. Pakistan’s batters gave a better account of themselves as compared to the reverse fixture but India’s bowling attack retaliated after the halfway mark, and Abhishek Sharma then set up the chase with a dazzling 74 off 39 balls, studded with 6 fours and 5 sixes.
The determining factor
Pakistan’s innings came to a screeching halt during overs 11 to 16, – no boundaries, three wickets, and only 30 runs added at a run rate of five an over. India also stalled and lost wickets in that period, but their red-hot start gave them the buffer to ride it out and get the job done.
Pakistan establish a good base
Sahibzada Farhan enjoyed beginner’s luck when Abhishek, stationed at third man, reacted late and bungled up a catch off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. At the other end, Fakhar Zaman opened ahead of the struggling Saim Ayub and the promotion worked like a charm as he struck two fours off Jasprit Bumrah. Fakhar also found the fence against Pandya but returned soon after, edging a slower ball to the wicketkeeper. The third umpire was satisfied with the cleanliness of the catch but the left-hander wasn’t pleased. Ayub got in and blazed off the blocks with a confident pull off Pandya for four, his first runs in the tournament after an embarrassing three-duck streak.
India continued to underperform in the field as Kuldeep Yadav put Ayub down at short fine leg as the under-fire batter attempted a sweep off Varun Chakaravarthy. Bumrah, meanwhile, wasn’t at his miserly best, leaking four more boundaries and returning figures of 0/34 from three, as Pakistan accomplished their highest powerplay score in T20Is against India.
India pull up their socks after Farhan fifty
Kuldeep bowled a fine seventh over but Varun conceded the first six of the innings, with Abhishek failing to grasp a difficult chance at long-on to reprieve Farhan again. Ayub hit his first six by stepping out of his crease and going downtown against Kuldeep, while Farhan also launched a maximum in the same over. The opener raised to a 34-ball fifty by pulling Axar all the way as Pakistan skated to 91/1 after 10 overs. The crucial 72-run stand was finally broken when Ayub miscued a pull off Shivam Dube, with Abhishek redeeming himself by diving forward to complete an excellent catch. Economical overs followed, mounting the pressure and forcing errors – Hussain Talat fell to Kuldeep trying a reverse sweep, while Farhan perished in the bid to attack Dube.
Middle order catapults Pakistan to 171
Salman Agha kickstarted the death overs with a six over long-on off Kuldeep and Mohammad Nawaz backed up his accelerating effort by clearing the ropes against Dube and edging one for four as 17 runs came off the 17th over. Nawaz was eventually run out in the penultimate over, failing to ground his bat as he rushed to the striker’s end. Faheem Ashraf then took charge, smoking Bumrah for a six and getting a life when Gill made a mess, as India’s spearhead finished wicketless for 45 runs. Ashraf capped off the innings with a four and a six versus Pandya as Pakistan slammed their highest T20I total against India on the board.
Indian openers come out firing on all cylinders
Abhishek hooked Shaheen Afridi for a first-ball six, ensued by two fours for Gill off Ayub as India started positively. Abhishek was nearly caught off Shaheen but the left-arm quick’s over proved expensive as Gill clubbed him for two fours. Abhishek survived a run-out opportunity too, with the keeper disturbing the stumps without the ball in hand. The southpaw rediscovered his mojo with a four and a six off Abrar Ahmed while the openers pelted a boundary each off Haris Rauf to usher India past 50 in the fifth over. The on-song Indian openers then hit three fours between them off Ayub to wrap up the PowerPlay in style.
Firing on all cylinders to get to his half-century! 🚀
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Pakistan claw back after century stand
There was no stopping the fireworks despite the field spreading as Abhishek tore into Abrar, plundering two sixes with the latter parried over the rope by Farhan. Gill then crashed a four off Ayub, as did Abhishek as he rustled up a 24-ball fifty, the swiftest for India against Pakistan in T20Is. India galloped to 100 in just 8.4 overs, bringing up the first century partnership in this edition of the Asia Cup. However, Gill was soon bowled by Ashraf three shy of fifty. Suryakumar Yadav succumbed to Haris Rauf, perishing for the third time to the pacer owing to a leading edge to third man. Albeit Abhishek kept India going, nailing two fours off Ashraf and a six off Abrar, but the youngster’s charged-up outing came to an end when he sliced a short ball from the legspinner. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma joined forces to India in front in the chase.
Tilak drives India past the finish line
Although he hung around, Samson wasn’t looking at the top of his game and his scratchy innings ended when he was castled for a 17-ball 13 by Rauf. A boundary in the same over for Pandya took India over 150, bringing the equation to an easily attainable 19 off 18. Ashraf, who brought up the 18th over, conceded 10 with Tilak pulling a stylish six. He then struck Afridi over long-off and sealed the deal with a boundary to backward square leg, remaining unbeaten on 30 off 19.
