Dubai: India outclassed Pakistan with a dominant seven-wicket victory in their Asia Cup 2025 encounter on Sunday, comfortably chasing down a modest target of 128 in just 15.5 overs at the Dubai International Stadium.
Put into bat first on a track known to favour chasers, Pakistan faltered early as India’s pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya ripped through the top order, reducing the side to a disastrous 6/3 inside the powerplay. The middle overs offered no respite either, with spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel stifling the scoring and dismantling the line-up further, sharing five wickets between them for just 36 runs across eight overs.
The only bright spots for Pakistan came from Sahibzada Farhan, who grafted 40 off 44 balls, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose late cameo of 33 off 16 deliveries lifted them from complete collapse to a total of 127/9.
In response, India never looked troubled. Suryakumar Yadav, celebrating his birthday, anchored the chase with composure and flair, sealing the win with a six that sent the packed Dubai crowd into raptures.
Speaking at the presentation, Suryakumar said, “It’s a great feeling to win, and this is the perfect return gift from me to India on my birthday. Hitting the winning six was a box I wanted to tick, to stay till the end.” He downplayed the hype of the rivalry, remarking, “Playing Pakistan is just another game for us; we prepare the same way as for any other opposition.”
Reflecting on India’s historic success, he added, “We won the Champions Trophy with a lot of spinners, and that was where it all started. I’ve always been a fan of spinners, and I like picking them.” In an emotional moment, he ended by dedicating the win to the armed forces: “We stand with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, and today’s win is for the armed forces.”
We stand by the victims of the families of Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. We want to dedicate today's win to all our Armed Forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an… pic.twitter.com/stkrqIEBuE
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 14, 2025
Kuldeep Yadav, who was named Player of the Match for his incisive spell, credited simplicity for his success. “I just tried to execute my plans and react to what Pakistan were attempting. The first ball should always be a wicket-taking delivery, because the batter is new and that’s your chance to dominate,” he explained. Despite his accolades, he remained humble: “I don’t feel on top of the world yet. I still need to work on my bowling. Sometimes I try too many variations, and I have to learn to be more disciplined.”
India’s clinical performance, powered by pace at the start and spin in the middle overs, once again showcased their balance and depth, underlining why they remain the favourites in this tournament.
