Suryakumar Yadav’s men produce commanding all-round display to outclass arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare, registering their second successive win in 2025 Asia Cup
India spinner Axar Patel (centre) celebrates with skipper Suryakumar Yadav after dismissing Pakistan captain Salman Agha in Dubai on Sunday; (right) India spinner Kuldeep Yadav during his 3-18 vs Pakistan. Pics/PTI, AFP
Playing like the No. 1 side in the world, dominant India confirmed their berth in the Super Fours of the T20 Asia Cup with a powerful, spin-fuelled masterclass against Pakistan.
In a match that seldom touched competitive levels after Salman Agha chose to bat on winning the toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav tied up Pakistan in knots, after which India’s deep batting line-up got to work on Sunday night, completing a seven-wicket romp with 25 deliveries to spare.
Kuldeep shines
The two contrasting left-arm spinners each conceded just 18 in their respective four overs, wristie Kuldeep accounting for three wickets after Axar had packed off the experienced Fakhar Zaman and Agha, dismissed for a second duck in as many matches.
It took a late flourish from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who hammered four sixes including two in the final over from Hardik Pandya, for Pakistan to scramble to 127 for nine, well below par on a slowish surface that didn’t offer a great deal for the bowlers.
Abhishek Sharma provided India with a customary blistering start, drilling Afridi’s first ball back past the bowler after advancing down the track and taking it on the full before beautifully driving the next one over long-off for a pleasing six. On what was generally a difficult lead-up to the game for birthday boy Suryakumar Yadav’s side, Abhishek’s early blitz settled whatever nerves there might have been.
Abhishek sets it up
Abhishek fell to the off-spin of Saim Ayub, who had dismissed Shubman Gill, his opening partner, in the second over of the chase with a superb carrom ball that snaked past the right-hander’s off-stump. By then, Abhishek had smashed four fours and two sixes, laying the platform that Suryakumar and Tilak Varma built on with great ease because there was no scoreboard pressure. The third-wicket pair (56-run stand) took its time against Pakistan’s assortment of spinners, of whom leggie Abrar Ahmed was the most impressive even if the wickets went to Ayub. Abrar gave nothing away in a tight spell, but Suryakumar and Tilak had no reason to chance their arms.
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