India continued their dominance over Pakistan in men’s cricket with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the Asia Cup 2025 Group A match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 128 runs, India sealed the match in just 16 overs, powered by explosive batting from Abhishek Sharma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Abhishek Sharma’s Explosive Start
From the very first ball, Abhishek Sharma took charge. He smashed Shaheen Shah Afridi for a four and a six in the opening over. His quickfire 31 off 13 balls set the tone for the run chase.
Sharma, currently the top-ranked T20 batter, punished Pakistan’s bowling attack with two sixes and four fours before falling to part-time spinner Saim Ayub.
Suryakumar Yadav Leads from the Front
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls. His match-winning six in the 16th over sealed the win and kept India unbeaten in the tournament.
Tilak Varma contributed with a steady 31 runs, while Shubman Gill managed 10 runs before also falling to Ayub, who picked up all three Indian wickets.
Pakistan Struggles With the Bat
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat. However, Pakistan suffered an early collapse. Saim Ayub was dismissed on the first ball by Hardik Pandya, and Mohammad Haris fell in the next over to Jasprit Bumrah.
While Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman tried to stabilize the innings, India’s spinners dominated the middle overs. The spin trio picked up six wickets in 10 overs, dismantling Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Only late hitting from Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem, who combined for four fours and two sixes, helped Pakistan cross the 100-run mark, ending at 127 runs in 20 overs.
Match Summary
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Pakistan Innings: 127/9 in 20 overs
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India Innings: 131/3 in 16 overs
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Result: India won by 7 wickets
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Player of the Match: Abhishek Sharma
What’s Next?
With this win, India secured two points and strengthened their chances of qualifying for the Asia Cup 2025 semi-finals.
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India’s next match: Against Oman on Friday.
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Pakistan’s next match: Against the UAE on Wednesday.
