Abhishek Sharma’s stellar performance guides India to a seven-ball victory over Pakistan in their Super Four clash at the Asia Cup in Dubai.
Published On 21 Sep 2025
India’s super-fours-asia-cup/” title=”Bangladesh Triumphs Over Sri Lanka in a Nail-Biting … Fours … at … | Cricket News”>successful chase of 172 runs against Pakistan was anchored by a commanding 105-run opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, securing a six-wicket win for the defending champions in their Asia Cup Super Four encounter. This marked India’s second triumph over their fierce rivals in the T20 tournament.
After Pakistan elected to bat first on Sunday, they posted a competitive total of 171 for 5, which India managed to surpass with just seven balls to spare.
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The match unfolded under a cloud of tension, with no handshake exchanged between the teams, reflecting the ongoing strain between the two countries following a recent military confrontation between these nuclear-armed neighbors in May.
On the field, the atmosphere was equally charged, as Pakistan’s pacer Haris Rauf engaged in a tense verbal exchange with Sharma and Gill during India’s innings, highlighting the intensity of the rivalry.
Pakistan’s innings was bolstered by a solid 72-run stand for the second wicket between Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, following an early dismissal of Fakhar Zaman for 15 runs.
Farhan, who was fortunate to be dropped by Sharma in the opening over, reached his fifty off 34 deliveries, helping Pakistan reach 91 for 1 after the first ten overs.
However, Pakistan’s momentum stalled as they failed to hit any boundaries over the next six overs, losing Ayub (21), Hussain Talat (10), and Farhan (58 off 45) in quick succession.
In the final three overs, captain Salman Ali Agha (17 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (20 off 8) combined for an unbeaten 42-run partnership, pushing Pakistan to a challenging total of 171 for 5.
India’s chase began aggressively, with Sharma launching Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six on the very first ball. He continued his assault with four fours and four sixes, reaching his half-century in just 24 balls.
Despite India’s promising start, the innings faced setbacks when Gill (47 off 28) was bowled by Faheem Ashraf in the 10th over.
Shortly after, captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck by Haris Rauf (2-26), and Sharma (74 off 39) was caught by Abrar Ahmed, momentarily slowing India’s progress.
Nevertheless, India, who had previously defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the group stage, managed to clinch the win. Tilak Varma’s quickfire 30 off 19 balls, including a six and a four off Afridi in the final two deliveries, sealed the victory.
Looking ahead, Pakistan is set to face Sri Lanka on Tuesday, both teams eager to secure their first Super Four win, while India will take on Bangladesh, who recently defeated Sri Lanka on Saturday.
